Recently, a family member had to be hospitalized, resulting in a 53-day stay, including three weeks in rehab. Needless to say, with the hospital being nearly 50 km away and family visiting almost daily, things quickly became chaotic—from an emotional, physical, and even financial perspective.
With this being a financial blog centered around budgeting and staying in control of your money, we’ll focus on the financial aspect of this difficult period: the toll it took on our finances and how to get back on track. More important than any financial loss, of course, is that our family member is now home and doing better. That alone is worth every dollar spent during this ordeal.
During the height of the health crisis, I kept reminding myself to stay calm and not lose sight of the big picture—especially avoiding irrational decisions that I might regret later. Thankfully, I managed to keep things under control for the most part, including our finances where possible.
The Financial Cost
Now that the worst is behind us and we can focus on recovery, I wanted to go over the financial cost of this long hospital stay. In fact, before this 53-day stretch, there were several other hospital stays in late May and June totaling an additional 12 days. Do the math, and you’ll see they spent well over 65 days in hospital in just the last 3.5 months.
One of the biggest expenses of visiting a family member in the hospital is the parking fees, which cost us hundreds of dollars over the past two months—this includes a 10-day parking pass for $124. On top of that, the long 50 km drive (nearly 100 km round trip) meant hundreds more in fuel costs, not to mention significant wear and tear on the vehicles—likely 1,000 km or more between two cars.
Add it all up—not even counting the time lost—and you realize that long hospital stays don’t just take a physical and emotional toll on you and the patient, they also drain you financially. While you can’t and shouldn’t put a “price tag” on caring for a loved one, the reality is that the financial impact is unavoidable.
How to Approach Long Hospital Stays
I hope no one has to go through something like this, but hospital stays are an inevitable part of life. If you do face it with a family member, it’s important to plan ahead and approach it as a group so no single person is burdened with all the responsibility. For example:
- Rotate who goes to the hospital and which vehicle is used.
- Split the cost of a parking pass.
- Consider using public transit or carpooling when possible.
- Above all, remain calm and collected—rash decisions in the heat of the moment often lead to unnecessary expenses and stress.
While our family is incredibly grateful for the recovery and return home of our loved one, this experience was a powerful reminder that major life events can shake even the most carefully planned budgets. By staying composed, sharing responsibilities, and making practical arrangements, you can minimize the financial strain and focus on what truly matters—being there for the people you love when they need you most.