Romac

A Guide to the Responsibilities of Home Hosts

When considering the home hosting program, recognise that the ROMAC patient and family member, to whom you are making your home available for the period of their stay, may be from a different culture, although we do strive to place children with like cultures to make an easier transition.

You will be supported at all times by the members of the Regional and District ROMAC Committee.Contact phone numbers for these will be given to you so that you can contact us, at any time should a problem arise.

Home hosts and their families in the home to be occupied by the ROMAC child must satisfy the requirements of the relevant state Child Protection Act, or equivalent legislation.A member of the ROMAC Committee will discuss this with you – it will be necessary that you fill in a few forms and sign appropriate declarations to enable processing in accordance with the legislation.

The intended stay may have to be extended, for medical reasons, but we make every effort to return the child to their home as soon as possible.It is not possible to estimate the length of stay until after surgery, or during recuperation, when it will become evident if the duration of stay will vary from the original estimate.

In the event that the patient looks likely to be here for an extended period of time, ROMAC will liaise with you as the home hosting family to see if you are still able to host the patient.If you are not, ROMAC will find an alternative home host.

Arrival

Be available to meet the child and carer with members of the ROMAC committee and the sponsoring Rotary Club at the airport on arrival.This instantly creates a warm bond.They will go home with you, but occasionally may go straight to hospital.

It is likely that the patient and carer will stay with the home host family for a short period prior to being admitted for their procedure. During this period, they will normally require a number of medical appointments for tests, etc.

Many of the patients arriving have very little by way of English skills.From past experience once they get a little established their English improves and they can communicate reasonably well.Phrase books are commonly available if required.

Home Host allowance

A weekly remuneration to support the child and guardian may be paid by ROMAC if required.This covers accommodation, food and minor personal expenses.

The child and carer usually arrive with no money and may have to be given a small allowance but bear in mind that they may be unfamiliar with our currency and prices. (Often the sponsoring Rotary Club will provide some “pocket money”).

Parent/guardians will often volunteer for chores around the house to try and earn their pocket money.If they do volunteer, then doing chores should be encouraged.

Cash expenses incurred for hospital parking, pharmaceuticals, x-ray, pathology tests, etc can be claimed on presentation of receipts.Any accounts for hospitalisation, pathology, etc should be referred to the ROMAC Committee for payment.

Requests for clothing, shoes etc. should also be directed to the ROMAC Committee, but are frequently provided by local religious organisations, charity groups or the sponsoring Rotary Club.

ROMAC children and their families are usually poor and have never had much money or material things and must return to those conditions.A good thing to remember for all our patients is “Keep it simple” and appreciate that overly spoiling them may not be in their long term interests.

ROMAC will not be responsible for unreasonable excess luggage on return.

Medical Appointments

You will receive advice of medical appointments from a member of the ROMAC Committee.

Assistance can be arranged, through Rotary Clubs, to take the patient to appointments should the home hosting family not be able to do this.

If they are from the same culture, home hosting families sometimes can act as interpreters during medical appointments. In many instances accredited interpreters are required by the medical institutions.

Hospitalisation

When checking the child into the hospital the address to be given is that of the ROMAC Regional Director, and the hospital is to be requested to send all accounts to that address.

When the child is in hospital, their carer may also stay in hospital.

Visiting them as regularly as possible will be greatly appreciated, as would be taking them food that they are used to eating (e.g. rice etc). Mothers/fathers should be encouraged and shown how to prepare food for their child in the home.

General

Patients and carers must be introduced to some of our modern dangers and domestic facilities. Dangers such as those that exist on our roads and highways, our hot water taps, playing with domestic pets, our domestic chemicals etc need to be explained. Facilities such as taps, toilets, showers, televisions, laundry sometimes need to be demonstrated. Some island people need to be shown how to sleep in a bed under a blanket. In some case these are things they do not have at home.

Do not expose a child who has come from a small remote village to large numbers of people.This is sometimes daunting as are lifts and escalators and needs careful introduction.Introduce new faces slowly as confidence grows.

Be very careful with the use of telephones by the patient and/or guardian. Unfettered access to the telephone can end up with large telephone expenses. The home host is responsible for unsolicited use.

The home hosting family is responsible for the child and carer and must report any issues that they are not happy with so that ROMAC can deal with them before they become problems.

Depending on the age of the child, it may be necessary to provide suitable child/infant car seating to ensure compliance with legal requirements for transport of children in cars.If you do not have a suitable child car seat, please discuss this with the ROMAC Committee.

Any change of home hosting family cannot occur without the approval of the ROMAC committee.ROMAC must be able to contact a ROMAC child at all times.

Approval from the ROMAC Regional or District chairman must be advised if the child and guardian are to be taken away from the metropolitan area where they are staying.

The ROMAC child must be accompanied by an adult at all times and not allowed to be alone in shopping centres and public places (e.g. playgrounds or parks).

ROMAC pays for their airfares, passport and visas and if you are told contrary to this it is not true. ROMAC children and carers are often very street wise and soon realise the generosity of what they perceive as wealthy Aussies and Kiwis – don’t underestimate them.

Your visitors will be so grateful for what you and ROMAC are doing for them and you will have an abundance of rewarding and happy moments.

Home hosting a ROMAC child and parent/guardian is a rewarding and satisfying family experience.

When considering the home hosting program, recognise that the ROMAC patient and family member, to whom you are making your home available for the period of their stay, may be from a different culture, although we do strive to place children with like cultures to make an easier transition.

You will be supported at all times by the members of the Regional and District ROMAC Committee.Contact phone numbers for these will be given to you so that you can contact us, at any time should a problem arise.

Home hosts and their families in the home to be occupied by the ROMAC child must satisfy the requirements of the relevant state Child Protection Act, or equivalent legislation.A member of the ROMAC Committee will discuss this with you – it will be necessary that you fill in a few forms and sign appropriate declarations to enable processing in accordance with the legislation.

The intended stay may have to be extended, for medical reasons, but we make every effort to return the child to their home as soon as possible.It is not possible to estimate the length of stay until after surgery, or during recuperation, when it will become evident if the duration of stay will vary from the original estimate.

In the event that the patient looks likely to be here for an extended period of time, ROMAC will liaise with you as the home hosting family to see if you are still able to host the patient.If you are not, ROMAC will find an alternative home host.

Arrival

Be available to meet the child and carer with members of the ROMAC committee and the sponsoring Rotary Club at the airport on arrival.This instantly creates a warm bond.They will go home with you, but occasionally may go straight to hospital.

It is likely that the patient and carer will stay with the home host family for a short period prior to being admitted for their procedure. During this period, they will normally require a number of medical appointments for tests, etc.

Many of the patients arriving have very little by way of English skills.From past experience once they get a little established their English improves and they can communicate reasonably well.Phrase books are commonly available if required.

Home Host allowance

A weekly remuneration to support the child and guardian may be paid by ROMAC if required.This covers accommodation, food and minor personal expenses.

The child and carer usually arrive with no money and may have to be given a small allowance but bear in mind that they may be unfamiliar with our currency and prices. (Often the sponsoring Rotary Club will provide some “pocket money”).

Parent/guardians will often volunteer for chores around the house to try and earn their pocket money.If they do volunteer, then doing chores should be encouraged.

Cash expenses incurred for hospital parking, pharmaceuticals, x-ray, pathology tests, etc can be claimed on presentation of receipts.Any accounts for hospitalisation, pathology, etc should be referred to the ROMAC Committee for payment.

Requests for clothing, shoes etc. should also be directed to the ROMAC Committee, but are frequently provided by local religious organisations, charity groups or the sponsoring Rotary Club.

ROMAC children and their families are usually poor and have never had much money or material things and must return to those conditions.A good thing to remember for all our patients is “Keep it simple” and appreciate that overly spoiling them may not be in their long term interests.

ROMAC will not be responsible for unreasonable excess luggage on return.

Medical Appointments

You will receive advice of medical appointments from a member of the ROMAC Committee.

Assistance can be arranged, through Rotary Clubs, to take the patient to appointments should the home hosting family not be able to do this.

If they are from the same culture, home hosting families sometimes can act as interpreters during medical appointments. In many instances accredited interpreters are required by the medical institutions.

Hospitalisation

When checking the child into the hospital the address to be given is that of the ROMAC Regional Director, and the hospital is to be requested to send all accounts to that address.

When the child is in hospital, their carer may also stay in hospital.

Visiting them as regularly as possible will be greatly appreciated, as would be taking them food that they are used to eating (e.g. rice etc). Mothers/fathers should be encouraged and shown how to prepare food for their child in the home.

General

Patients and carers must be introduced to some of our modern dangers and domestic facilities. Dangers such as those that exist on our roads and highways, our hot water taps, playing with domestic pets, our domestic chemicals etc need to be explained. Facilities such as taps, toilets, showers, televisions, laundry sometimes need to be demonstrated. Some island people need to be shown how to sleep in a bed under a blanket. In some case these are things they do not have at home.

Do not expose a child who has come from a small remote village to large numbers of people.This is sometimes daunting as are lifts and escalators and needs careful introduction.Introduce new faces slowly as confidence grows.

Be very careful with the use of telephones by the patient and/or guardian. Unfettered access to the telephone can end up with large telephone expenses. The home host is responsible for unsolicited use.

The home hosting family is responsible for the child and carer and must report any issues that they are not happy with so that ROMAC can deal with them before they become problems.

Depending on the age of the child, it may be necessary to provide suitable child/infant car seating to ensure compliance with legal requirements for transport of children in cars.If you do not have a suitable child car seat, please discuss this with the ROMAC Committee.

Any change of home hosting family cannot occur without the approval of the ROMAC committee.ROMAC must be able to contact a ROMAC child at all times.

Approval from the ROMAC Regional or District chairman must be advised if the child and guardian are to be taken away from the metropolitan area where they are staying.

The ROMAC child must be accompanied by an adult at all times and not allowed to be alone in shopping centres and public places (e.g. playgrounds or parks).

ROMAC pays for their airfares, passport and visas and if you are told contrary to this it is not true. ROMAC children and carers are often very street wise and soon realise the generosity of what they perceive as wealthy Aussies and Kiwis – don’t underestimate them.

Your visitors will be so grateful for what you and ROMAC are doing for them and you will have an abundance of rewarding and happy moments.

ROMAC has the infrastructure in place to save the lives of the unfortunate children in the Asia/Pacific region, who are brought to Australia and New Zealand by ROMAC with life threatening problems that cannot be corrected in their own country.However could not continue this good work without the support of the home hosting families.