Karen’s Homes from Home
Comfortable and welcoming accommodation close to the haematology wards where loved ones are being treated.
The importance of family support during a period of illness is well recognised; research shows that a strong bond between patient and family can be a crucial factor in the success of a treatment. Not only does the patient benefit – the family also copes better. Yet, due to a lack of affordable, appropriate accommodation, patients are often isolated during periods of extended hospital treatment.
Karen’s Homes from Home is our response to the need for comfortable, welcoming accommodation close to the haematology wards where loved ones are being treated.
The work of the KMMT in developing a network of Karen’s Homes from Home has represented a vital national initiative for an increasing numbers of leukaemia patients and their families. Not only have these remarkable facilities dramatically improved the quality of the patient experience at the same time as supporting the immediate family, they have also increased the clinical capacity of busy regional centres allowing more patients to access curative therapies in a timely manner. Given the additional time demands of clinical trials Karen’s Home from Home will increasingly play a vital role in supporting such essential research allowing further progress to be made in the treatment of patients with blood cancer.
Professor Charles CraddockDPhil, MRCP, MRCPath
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Birmingham
2 Families
3399
“I was the first to stay at the new Karen's Home from Home in Birmingham. Sadly my wife was at a stage of her treatment that prevented her from seeing/enjoying the facilities offered first hand but certainly she gained indirectly. Having seen and experienced the accommodation, I can fully appreciate the huge difference it will make to a great many people in the future.”
GeraldAddenbrooke’s Hospital
Cambridge
4 Families
4648
“Lynn and I were able to stay at Karen’s Home from Home on three separate occasions. During Sam’s radio therapy treatment, he stayed there too and really appreciated it. We found it to be a wonderful provision and it meant, of course, that we could spend most of Sam’s waking hours with him, and saved a daily 110 miles round trip.”
Racheal, SohamThe Churchill Hospital
Oxford
4 Families
5347
“My dad was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome. The daily drive to and from hospital was physically and mentally exhausting for my mum. During one of her daily visits she saw a notice for relatives’ accommodation. There was one room free. The KMMT accommodation lifted a huge stress from mum’s life. The once exhausting drive switched to a short walk. I would hate to think what would have happened had this accommodation not been available. It gave my mum new energy to fight for dad and allowed her to be with him from early morning to late at night. It was easy to see it didn’t matter how sick dad was, he still looked at mum with love and could not have fought so hard without her being there.”
Matt, WarwickshireHammersmith Hospital
London
3 Families
6290
After the opening reception for Karen’s Home from Home at Hammersmith Hospital, one of the guests wrote: “Listening to laughter coming from one of the occupied KMMT flats was magic. It reminded me of how, even in a desperately difficult time, you can have a special moment of fun and happiness. With these flats you have created an environment where families can share these times and forget, just for a moment, the bad bits.”
David, London