There
are several choices in overnight accommodations and transportation
for families of military service members being treated at the
Minneapolis VA Medical Center. For assistance and complete information, call the Lodging office at 866-414-5058 extension 4289. The Lodging
office is open Mon – Fri from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Accomodations include:
The
Fisher House™ Program
The Fisher House™ Foundation
donates "comfort
homes," built on
the grounds of major
military and VA medical
centers. A Fisher House
is a “home away
from home” for
patients who are receiving
long term care at major
military hospitals and
VA medical centers. Patients
families and significant
others are also eligible
to stay at the Fisher
House. It is for individuals
requesting three nights
of lodging or more and
not for a single nights
lodging. Typically, guests
at the house are patients
involved in long-term
outpatient treatments
such as radiation therapy
or family members of
seriously ill patients.
(Fisher House web site)
A Fisher House is a temporary residence and is not a treatment facility,
hospice or counseling center. The guests at the house must be able to get back
and forth to the Medical Center and be able to prepare their own meals, do their
own laundry, etc. It is not a hotel and does not have a desk clerk available
24 hours a day. It is a place to rest, prepare meals, and launder clothes and
a place where children can lead relatively normal lives. Families are asked to
care for the home as if it were their own.
The Minneapolis Fisher House is professionally decorated and furnished. It has
a common kitchen, laundry room, dining room and living room with 10 private bedrooms
(some of which are handicapped accessible). It is located on the VA campus at
the corner of 54th Street and Minnehaha. The entrance to the house
is from 54th Street.
Maggie Swenson, in the Patient Family Center at the Medical Center, is the Fisher
House Manager. Her alternate is Marge Oslund. Inquires about the house should
be directed to Maggie or Marge at (612) 725-2106.
Building 10
The Minneapolis VA has limited lodging available for patients who live outside
the Twin City Metro area and need a place to stay for one night or more. There
is no charge to stay in Bldg. 10. It is located across the street from the Medical
Center. Family members, significant others or attendants can stay in Bldg. 10
as long as they are sharing the room with a VA patient. The rooms have either
two single beds or one double bed. Each room has a sink and mirror. Towels and
sheets are provided. There are no private restrooms. The restrooms are located
in the hallway. There are no alarm clocks in the rooms. There is a lounge on
each floor with a TV, refrigerator and coffee pot. There are pay phones in the
hallway. Coffee is not routinely provided.
Patients being lodged for long term outpatient treatments (e.g. radiation treatment)
will be issued meal tickets for use in the medical center cafeteria. Meal tickets
may be picked up at the lodging desk in the Patient Family Center, room 1S-120
in the Medical Center. They should be picked up at the Urgent Care reception
desk located inside the outpatient entrance on weekends and holidays. Contact
the Lodging office for assistance.
Hotels
Several area hotels offer VA rates to patients and their family members. Some
of the hotels offer shuttle service. Contact the Lodging office
for more information.
The
Fisher House™ Program