Affordable accommodation for cancer patients in Shepparton

By Anna McGuinness

Aug 19, 2022

Welcome: Shepparton House manager Peter Thompson and Fight Cancer Foundation managing director Eric Wright at the new accommodation centre in Dunlop St, Shepparton. Photo: Megan Fisher. Photo by Megan Fisher

Cancer patients travelling to Shepparton for treatment have a new, low-cost accommodation option, to make it easier to get the medical care they need.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Australian charity Fight Cancer Foundation has opened the refurbished, four-bedroom house directly opposite Goulburn Valley Health in Dunlop St, offering somewhere for patients and their carers to stay.

Foundation managing director Eric Wright said he expected it would become a haven for cancer patients requiring ongoing treatment.

Shepparton House is one of four centres the foundation is operating, with other sites in Melbourne, Hobart and Albury.

A place to stay: Peter and Eric enjoy the comforts of Shepparton House. Photo: Megan Fisher. Photo by Megan Fisher

“Our accommodation centres make a real difference to families and are conducive to improved recovery and mental wellbeing during harrowing treatment regimes,” Mr Wright said.

“Patients and their carers can stay in our affordable and comfortable accommodation, relieving them of undue financial stress and the stress of constant travel.”

Mr Wright said there would be a small out-of-pocket fee on top of the government subsidy amount to stay at the accommodation centre.

Communal: The kitchen and dining area at Shepparton House. Photo: Megan Fisher. Photo by Megan Fisher

He said it was the first of its kind in Shepparton, with the need for it only coming recently with the presence of the Peter Copulos Cancer and Wellness Centre and GenesisCare meaning more people were seeking treatment in town.

For day patients needing somewhere to rest between morning and afternoon treatment sessions, the centre offers a place to relax, watch television and have a hot drink.

The house has been leased from Family Care for three years and has been fully furnished to “feel like home”.