Parking concession in hospital car park for terminally ill patient

Dermot

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Hello. A friend of mine whose partner is terminally ill with cancer has asked me if there is any concession re parking fees in hospital car park ( Tullamore ). They are partners for 48 years and very devoted to one another. She is currently receiving intensive treatment and has been given a prognosis of about 6 months to live.
At the moment she will be in the hospital for 1 week in 4 and he will take her home to care for her while this can be done. They are both in their late 70's. Old age pensions are their only income and hospital is approximately 30 km from their home.
He goes down town to have his dinner and then goes back up to her. Hospital approximately 2km from town. Parking is costing €9.00 per day. Any ideas on the parking concession only in the circumstances
 
Sorry to hear about your friends partner. Which hospital is it? You can check if he is getting the best rate e.g. might be a weekly pass he can get.
Or see if there is any free parking within a walking distance.
Or place some messages\ads somewhere asking for temp free parking, someone might help.
Ask the cancer society.
Do a whip around of friends and pay for the parking for him.
 
Some hospitals give tokens or stamp ticket Best for himself to ask at reception in hospital sometimes they use discretion in cases like above,
I got a special parking ticket looked like the one you get out of machine at reception ,I missed out for most of the time I parked because I did not know about it
It was Not Tullamore hospital,
 
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Will try to answer all questions posed here. Tullamore Hospital. I have offered money to help defray some extra expenses but would not take it. Very independent in a nice way. Just will not accept what he would think was charity. If he was entitled to something from state he would. They do not have any assets other than car. House rented. Maybe something close to €5,000 in cash between them. Would see that as emergency money at their age. Thanks for contributions
 
I'd be surprised if there wasn't some sort of concession in place for this. As someone mentioned, the Irish Cancer Society or the hospital chaplain would point him in the right direction.

Edit: the Irish Patient Association might also be worth a try.
 
I presume they are getting hit for a €4 charge for part of a day and another €5 full day charge after lunch. That's brutal -- an indefensible money-making racket from the hospitals. There is a [broken link removed], a minority have a weekly rate or a concession for cancer patients / oncology units, but Tullamore isn't one of them. There is also no nearby longterm free parking, according to parkopedia.ie. Can't think of anything other than talking to Irish Cancer to see if there's any way they could bring pressure to bear, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
 
Thanks a lot to those who have responded. You have in one " dub nerd " thank you. As you will note from their age profile the few relatives that are left are as old or older than them. There are no children and are a very kind couple. I live approx 30 km from them and keep in contact with them every day by phone and also visit them. The diagnosis was only made in the last 2 and a half weeks and neither of them have got over the shock and she is on "chemo" since yesterday. They are not related to me. I appreciate all the responses so far. Thank you
 
Dermot, you're a very kind and sensitive friend of the 2 people. Is there any way you might be able to have a chat with someone in authority in the hospital, maybe even mention the posts here to them as it would be difficult to think there's not a heart beating in their chests. Maybe a local County Councillor or TD could help as I can well imagine this being very difficult financially for the partner. Wish I had a place beside the hospital and they could use my driveway. Good luck with this and hope it works out.
 
Thank you "noproblem" and for your sensitive post. I am living about 60 km from that hospital and I currently have a flu that I am finding it difficult to shake. Had intended to call to the hospital this week but as she is in isolation I would not get to see her. Will email a TD and see what he advises. Nice to see the kindness of all the contributors on here. Take a bow. all of you.
 
Is there somewhere that he can park for free nearby and then get a bus handily/quickly enough (free travel)?
 
Isn't this miserable - 140+ years paying tax to the Irish State between them and this is where they find themselves now.

Wishing you the best of luck with this OP.
 
Thanks to each and everyone of the contributors to this thread. You all showed a kindness that makes me feel grateful to you all. I have spoken to her partner a few times since my last post and will give you an update. The situation was that as I said before the man is in his 70's and he had made several enquiries about a parking concession and different staff gave him different information and promised to come back to him on the matter. Yesterday he met an individual who supplied him with 8 tickets which will let him out for a €1 each time. So progress at last. I did not realise he had been there for 17 days with her. Again thank you all. By the way a person in reception was no help at all. Gordon. The bus service would be infrequent. Thanks all the same.
 
Hi Dermot,

[broken link removed] would lead one to believe that the parking maximum charge over a 24 hour period for Tullamore is €5.00. Perhaps if he could bring a copy of this document to the Reception desk or whoever is in charge of the ward they should be able to sort out the reduced rate. I was able to get details in St. James hospital from the Sister on the ward when a relative was in for a long stay. She gave me the details and told me which office to go to in the hospital.

P.S. Shame on the hospital (referred to in that document) who are charging €40 per day :(
 
Hi. Sue Ellen. To Clarify and to be fair. The Partner spends approximately 8 hrs per day in the hospital. He goes down town (approx 2.5km each way to get a dinner and a break. He does this everyday and each time he was charged on exiting €4 going to dinner and €5 on exiting in the evening time. Yesterday he eventually met a person who was interested and supplied him with vouchers that allows him to exit for 8 times at a €1 each time and will accomodate for the duration of the sickness. He had asked numerous people prior to this and there was no one interested enough to help him. He is in his mid 70's and wants a break from hospital and is stressed and the weather is not the warmest for a 2.5km trek each way at his age hence he brings the car with him down the town.
 
Sorry to hear he is having such a rough time. The stress attached to looking after a seriously sick relative can be dreadful and the unnecessary expense of parking just adds to the situation.

The €5.00 permit in James' Hospital covered the complete day and allowed any number of entrances/exits.
 
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