Rides
American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery has volunteer drivers in areas that assist patients with transportation to and from treatment. To inquiry if volunteers are available in your area contact (800) 227-2345.
Some surrounding towns have programs to assist with transportation to treatment. For those programs contact MeritCare Roger Maris Cancer Center's Social Services at (701) 234-6486.
There may be financial assistance available for paying for gas for treatment. For information on these programs contact cancer center's social worker at (701) 234-6486.
Ready Wheels, a service provided by F-M Ambulance, is a special transportation service. This service is available from approximately 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, seven days a week to provide door to door wheelchair service to provide local or distant transfers.
Lodging
Many FM area hotels have lodging discounts for MeritCare patients and families. For a list of participating hotels contact MeritCare Guest Services at (701) 234-4551.
American Cancer Society has a lodging program to assist out of town patients who live at least 50 miles from the FM area, have no family or friends to stay with and have limited finances. To apply for this program contact MeritCare Roger Maris Cancer Center's Social Services (701) 234-6486. Availability is dependent on openings in participating hotels and cannot be guaranteed.
Help in the Home
Medicare and private insurance companies will sometimes pay for home care assistance if there is a skilled need. A skilled need would include a service that only a licensed profession can provide; for instance physical therapy, occupational therapy or nursing assessments. If you feel you meet this criteria, your physician's office or the cancer center's social worker can make a referral for you.
If no skilled need but assistance is needed for cleaning, cooking, bathing, dressing, etc., there may be private hire agencies who can provide assistance depending on where you live. If there is a financial need, there may be programs through the county that you would qualify for. If you need to speak with someone regarding options please contact the cancer center's social services to speak with a social worker: (701) 234-6486.
Hospice
Hospice services are available in most regions of North Dakota and Minnesota. Hospice provides comfort and support for persons with life limiting illnesses and their families. Most hospice's will not admit a patient who is pursuing active treatment. A physician will need to certify that the patient meets that criteria for hospice but patients and families can contact their local hospice agency for information. Find your local hospice for further information, or contact your physician's office or the cancer center's social worker at (701) 234-6486.
Learn more about hospice care in our health library.
Advance Directives
We can't always know what is going to happen, so it's a good idea to have an Advance Medical Directive in place long before an unexpected emergency. With some thoughtful pre-planning on your part, what happens to you if you are incapacitated can still be your choice. The cancer center’s social worker or chaplain is available if you have questions.