LOCAL families needing medical treatment in Perth and Bunbury are resorting to Facebook and other social media to beg for affordable accommodation, according to Margaret River support groups.
The Mail spoke to several families who did not wish to be identified, but said there was a critical gap in cheap accommodation services for sick country people and their loved ones.
South West Region MLC Barry House acknowledged rising accommodation costs in Perth had made the issue tougher for many.
Mr House urged local residents to make their situations known to a current parliamentary review into the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS), which provides subsidies to eligible patients.
"The cost of accommodation is always creeping up and the scheme should move in sync with these trends," he said.
Local chronic pain sufferer Lila Chapman is among the desperate. Already facing tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs for a range of essential surgeries including on her back, bowel and knee finding somewhere to stay would boost her expenses by up to 50 per cent.
"I have to stay in Perth for five weeks after the back surgery and I just don't know how I can afford that," she said.
Ms Chapman, a disability pensioner, said she was already in debt from ongoing health treatment and basic living costs.
She said the high accommodation bill was a major barrier to getting the help she needed, and she knew others with the same dilemma.
"I am just in terrible constant pain I am honestly struggling to get through each day," she said.
"I miss my volunteer work, I miss my social life, I miss my swimming and being active. I just want my quality of life. I need someone to fix me."
The WA Country Health Service (WACHS) scheme PATS provides travel and accommodation subsidies to patients having to travel long distances for medical treatment.
Eligible patients can receive $60 per day for commercial accommodation and $75 if the patient has an approved escort.
Ms Chapman said this was not enough to offset the significant costs,
Margaret River cancer support service River Angels president Lynda Donovan backed the comments.
Having recently exhausted all options for a Margaret River family needing emergency accommodation closer to Bunbury hospital, Mrs Donovan said she had turned to the Facebook community for help, following others who had tried similar methods.
"We are asking random people to open their homes," she said.
"A lot of people don't want to go and stay in a stranger's house, especially when they are feeling so vulnerable but sometimes they don't have a choice."
WACHS South West regional director Grace Ley said PATS was partially funded through the Royalties for Regions Program and was intended to subsidise rather than fully cover all costs associated with attending medical appointments.
"Over the past five years, the number of trips has grown by 46 per cent and subsidies have increased by 78 per cent to $33.2 million in 2012-13, assisting with approximately 77,800 trips," Ms Ley said.
Most specialist medical treatment services covered by Medicare are eligible for assistance under PATS.
Written submissions for the PATS review have now closed, however anyone still wishing to be heard can take part in public hearings to be held around WA next month by contacting parliamentary committee clerk Lauren Mesiti on 9222 7376.
