Beyond the Bedside: Celebrating 17 Years of the Fisher House
By Lauren Bolanos, Office of Communications
For many Veterans receiving life saving care at the West LA VA Medical Center, one of the challenges isn’t treatment; it’s the distance families and caregivers must travel to remain close during recovery.
Many travel from Bakersfield and Santa Maria, others from Las Vegas, Arizona, or even New York, determined to be at their loved one’s side.
The Fisher House was built to bridge this distance. This nonprofit sanctuary provides high-end hospitality at no cost, specifically for families living 50 miles or more from the West LA VA Medical Center while their loved one receives care.
West LA VA’s Fisher House recently celebrated its 17th anniversary. This milestone offered a moment to reflect on a vital truth: that while doctors treat the patient, the Fisher House supports the family and caregivers who make healing possible.
This event featured a Mardi Gras theme complete with New Orleans cuisine, a captivating magic show, games, and giveaways. It also offered a rare moment for staff, donors, and families to relax together and enjoy a sense of community. Resources for caregivers and families were available, reinforcing the organization’s ongoing mission.
“We just want Veterans, families, and caregivers to feel empowered. We want them to feel supported and to know that there are resources if they need them, and to know, it's ok to ask. It's ok to ask for support,” said Erma Mickens, Manager at the West LA VA Fisher House.
For Paulette Nelson, a New Orleans native who now lives in Banning, California, the event was bittersweet as her husband remained in the ICU suffering from serious surgical complications. Despite the difficult circumstances, Nelson felt the staff had created a beautiful event.
“I feel so welcomed here. This is my home away from home," said Nelson, who was in attendance with her son, Steven Jackson, who lives locally.
The support didn’t stop there. The Fisher House team also helped connect the Nelson family with a program that flew her husband’s sons in from New Orleans for a weekend visit.
“That meant the world to them. I didn't even know the program existed,” said Nelson.
And while the emotional support is invaluable, the financial relief Fisher House provides is just as critical.
In the expensive landscape of West Los Angeles, the financial burden of a medical crisis can be as debilitating as the illness itself. The house currently serves an average of 45 families per month, and with local hotel rates estimated at a conservative $275 per night, the savings are staggering.
In a single month, the house provides between $70,000 and $76,000 in direct lodging savings to military families, said Mickens. This financial relief acts as an emotional buffer, ensuring a caregiver’s only focus is the bedside, not the mounting debt of a hotel bill, and the need has never been greater, with 10 to 50 guests residing at any given time.
The Fisher House also offers amenities, many donated by generous community partners, designed to ease the daily stress caregivers often face. These include:
- Fresh hydroponically grown vegetables are donated weekly
- On-site access to staples such as milk, eggs, and bread
- A high-end FloWater purification system
- Complimentary coffee, tea, and laundry essentials such as detergent and fabric softener.
In the crushing traffic of West Los Angeles, these details are transformative. By providing everyday necessities, the Fisher House spares families the time and energy required to navigate local markets, time that can instead be spent at their loved one’s bedside. With a safe, clean, and compassionate environment, the staff ensures caregivers can focus entirely on supporting their loved ones.
To help families take that first step, Mickens encourages Veterans and their loved ones to reach out to VA social workers and doctors to learn whether the Fisher House is available to them and visit www.va.gov/greater-los-angeles-health-care/programs/fisher-house/ for more information.