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Index:
Length of stay
In general, how long you stay in Morgantown for a stem cell transplant will depend on what type of transplant you have. The length of stay differs from case to case because each treatment plan is different, based on each patient's diagnosis and response to therapy. Your doctor will talk to you about what you can expect. Many autologous transplant patients may need to be in Morgantown for only a few weeks. Allogeneic transplant patients, however, will stay approximately 100 days. Part of the stay may be in the hospital and the remaining stay, as you are recovering, can be in nearby housing.
Living in Morgantown
For patients and families who must stay for long periods in Morgantown, Ruby Memorial Hospital offers convenient, comfortable and affordable temporary housing at Rosenbaum Family House. Located next to the hospital, Rosenbaum Family House offers a home-away-from-home environment, complete with kitchen and recreation areas. It includes single rooms with private baths as well as several individual apartments. Morgantown also offers a wide range of hotels and apartments. Our transplant coordinator and social worker will work with you to choose which housing option is best for you.
Selecting a Caregiver
While recuperating from a transplant, you will need a caregiver-a level-headed family member or friend who can provide you with daily emotional and physical support. You may want to limit the number of caregivers to maintain continuity of care. Caregivers have a demanding role, especially when you have been discharged from the hospital, but are still recuperating. These responsibilities can include:
- dispensing medicine
- providing emotional support
- providing physical care
- maintaining a clean home environment after hospitalization
- gathering information
- communicating with other family and friends
- providing transportation to and from the hospital for follow-up care
- monitoring the number of visitors
- We offer many levels of help to caregivers, including education and support.
Caring for Your Children
Most people find it difficult to be both a caregiver to the patient and a caretaker of children. If you have small children, we recommend that you choose one person as a caregiver and another person to take care of your children. Our social worker can talk to you about childcare issues.
Visitor Policies 
Visitor policies on the Transplant Unit are designed so your family and friends can support you during your hospital stay. However, after treatment you will be very vulnerable to infection. To protect you from outside germs, those with colds or other infections should not visit until they are well and all visitors should not visit other patients in the hospital before visiting you. To keep from tiring the patient, the number of visitors and the length of their stays may be limited. We also ask that visitors not come to the Transplant Unit during morning rounds.
Children and grandchildren who visit in the unit must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Children who have recently received immunizations or been exposed to a childhood disease should postpone their visit until they have been cleared by the medical staff.
All visitors must be clean and in clean clothes and shoes. They are also required to complete a full one-minute handwashing before visiting with the patient. They are not allowed to use the patient's bathroom.
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This is a publication of the Blood and Marrow Transplatation Program of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center and Ruby Memorial Hospital at West Virginia University’s Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center.
Acknowledgment: Funding for this handbook was provided by Annette, Marc and Darren Tanner in memory of Douglas H. Tanner.
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