Other FAQs for Guests

HOSTS for HOSPITALS provides lodging through volunteer-hosts who have a spare bedroom in their homes. This service is available to all potential guests regardless of a patient’s age or illness.

Our hosts are ordinary people in all walks of life. At the same time they are extraordinary in that they are willing to share their home with people in need. The host homes range from apartments to brownstones to single-family homes. Before being accepted into the program, HOSTS for HOSPITALS screens each host and conducts an on-sight inspection of the host’s home. Hosts are also trained to be sensitive to guests’ feelings of stress and concern for their loved ones. Hosts know to respect the privacy of their guests and thus will not expect you to socialize with them unless you wish to do so.

Your hosts will provide you a comfortable place to sleep, a clean bathroom and a feeling of home. Hosts provide all sheets, towels, blankets and the like, as well as directions to the host home, to your hospital, to grocery stores and public transportation. Hosts, though, ARE NOT required to provide meals or transportation–these are the responsibity of the guests. Many hosts, however, are happy to help out in these and other areas, such as by making their kitchen available at least for light meals. Whatever additional services your host wishes to provide will be explained to you when you first communicate with your host by phone or email.

We accept guests associated with patients receiving treatment at any medical facility within the area of Greater Philadelphia, including Southern New Jersey and Wilmington, Delaware.

99% of the time hosts do not ask for any type of payment from their guests. Hosts do, however, have the right to ask for expense reimbursement of up to $15/night for the first guest and $5/night for each additional guests–this payment is made by the guests directly to the hosts. Please note that HOSTS RARELY ASK FOR SUCH REIMBURSEMENTS, and you will only be placed in a home where reimbursement is required if you agree so in advance. Such reimbursement is separate from any donation which you may make to HOSTS for HOSPITALS–donations from our guests do help us help other families in the future.

An application form needs to be filled out. This is ususally done through a short phone call to our office–though hospital personnel often have application forms available which may completed and sent to us. You may also apply email us to have the application emailed back to you: . On the application we will ask your specific needs as a guest, so that we may then match you with a host-home that best meets your needs.

We require a personal character reference for each guest age 18 and above. This reference person is usually a physician or other health care provider from the guest’s home community. We need to know that the guest is considerate, reliable, responsible and able to manage independently within the host’s home. The rule of thumb is: would I invite this person to stay in my own home? In addition, it is important that all potential guests be free of alchohol or other substance dependency, and, be without threatening mental health problems.

Once the referrel process is complete, we will immediately review our network of hosts for a host-home where your needs may be best met. Once we confirm that that host-home is available, we will then contact you with the host’s name and contact information. Though we ask that we normally be given a number of days to place a guest at a host home, often the entire process can be completed upon the same day upon which we first receive the referral, assuming that we are able to reach the person providing the personal character reference for the guest.

Once we notify you of your host, we ask that you contact the host within 24 hours to coordinate arrangements for your stay. At this time you and your host will discuss any house-guidelines regarding hours, meals, habits, use of phone, etc. We also ask that you confirm your stay with your host 48 hours before you are expected to arrive at your host’s home. As your host will be expecting you at the agreed upon day and time, we ask that if there is a change in your plans, you alert both your host and our office. Courtesy in this regard is greatly appreciated. Please note that any additional guests who have not gone through the screening process will not be able to stay at the host-home until a reference check is completed for them.

When you arrive your host will provide a liability release form which all adult guests must sign. You will also be given a guest brochure, guest survey and return envelope. After you leave, please send us this survey so that we may evaluate our program.