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Traveling to receive medical care is fraught with difficulties, not least of which is finding a place to stay while you are there. Even discounted hotel rates for medical patients can cause an additional financial hardship in an already stressful time.
Aspirus is announcing a $4.5 million project that will help patients and their families when they have to travel to Wausau for medical care. It’s called the Family House–a safe, affordable, temporary home away from home for patients traveling to Wausau to receive critical medical care and families dealing with loved ones’ serious illnesses or medical crises.
The Family House will be located near Aspirus Wausau Hospital on the corner of 28th Avenue and Westhill Drive in the current ENT & Allergy Associates building. Aspirus is purchasing and renovating the house to include ten bedrooms with private bathrooms and shared living spaces designed as a home-like environment so patients can focus on healing while being supported by the local community and others going through similar health experiences.
Patients and their families will be referred to the Family House based on their needs and while there, served by the staff at the home and volunteers.
All eight Aspirus hospitals in Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan and the Aspirus Health Foundation have committed a total of $2.5 million and they have received gifts totaling $1.9 million from donors to help make the Family House possible.
The Aspirus Health Foundation invites individuals, businesses, and groups to help create the Family House through a charitable donation. Details about the project and Give Healing a Home campaign and goal to raise $100,000 are available online at aspirus.org/familyhouse.
Construction is scheduled to start July 2019, and the Family House will begin serving guests in January 2020.
