Local Cancer Patients Helped by Accor Hotels

CANCER patients and their carers will have their load lightened when they travel to Newcastle or Sydney for treatment, thanks to a partnership between the Cancer Council NSW and Accor Hotels.

Accor and Cancer Council join forces: Garry Brown volunteer, Sam Panetta general manager Pullman Magenta Shores Resort and Amanda Buikstra business manager Cancer Council NSW with volunteers Ann Grimshaw, Maria Bermudez and Sue Boswell.

Launched today in Newcastle, patients from the Upper Hunter will be able to stay at Accor Hotels and have the accommodation costs covered through a combination of the government’s Isolated Patients Transport and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS), a 30% reduction on the Accor standard rate and a contribution from the Cancer Council.

Jeanette James, treasurer of the Scone and District Cancer Support Group said the initiative would be a huge help to local people.

“It’s a very good idea because there’s enough pressure on you as it is when you go down for treatment and often it is very difficult to find accommodation,” said Ms James.

“In a motel you have access to make a cup of tea, or a microwave a lot of the time and when you are down there from the country for the patient and family members – it’s a wonderful thing,” she said.

“It can be a week at a time that you need to be down for treatment, you might have to go down from Monday to Friday and then have the weekend off and then head down again on the Monday, so it varies with the different cancers, but some people might have five weeks of radiotherapy and that is a lot of time away from home.

“Local people tend to go to the Mater, but Tamworth is becoming more popular because they are building up the oncology department there and we are an hour and a half from Tamworth and two hours from Newcastle, so we really are in between,” Jeanette James said.

Sam Panett general manager of Pullman Magenta Shores Resort, said the Accor staff have been trained to support cancer patients with specific dietary needs and housekeeping requirements.

“AccorHotels is a passionate supporter of community organisations and our aim is to make an already emotional situation easier by providing tailored and thoughtful hospitality to those who need it most while helping focus on getting better,” Sam Panett said.

Cancer Council NSW encourages local people to call the Cancer Information and Support Line when they are diagnosed, so they can help connect them with practical services they may not even realise can be provided.

“For example it might be that we can arrange for the lawns to be mowed for six weeks, while they undergo treatment, or arrange for a house cleaner; at the moment we are looking at how we can help arrange some childcare for someone locally, there are many things we can help with,” said Mr Parsons.

“There are also financial and legal services we can arrange such as our legal department who can negotiate with the banks for breathing space with home loans or a local solicitor who can help update a will,” he said.

“We can assist with transport to treatment, there are many services we provide that are all free of charge, so one of the first things people should do is give the support line a call,” Glen Parsons said.

Jeanette James also encourages local people affected by cancer to contact the local Scone and District Cancer Support Group.

“We help with any cancers, we support anyone we can, if we know about it we can help support in various ways,” Ms James said.

Support:

• For more information on the local support group see our Community page: Scone and District Cancer Support Group.
• Cancer Information and Support Line: 13 11 20
• Accommodation in Tamworth is available at Inala House for cancer patients and their carers.