The Living Waters Home

Our home at its core is a place of rest for outpatients and their caregivers to stay for free. Many cancer patients come from all over North Thailand and the surrounding countries seeking treatment in Chiang Mai’s well-equipped government hospital. Already dealing with the stresses of illness and expensive medical bills, we are here to meet the patient’s very basic needs of shelter and nourishment during their extensive treatments. We want to create an environment in which the patient and caregiver can focus on their health instead of worrying about the financial burdens of living away from home.

More than just a temporary home, Living Waters fosters a community of hope and encouragement. We get patients from all walks of life, some of whom have to face their treatments alone. No matter the situation, we make it a priority to build relationships with the patients and caregivers to encourage and support them through their treatment. We believe that mental health is just as important as physical health.

We have partnered with Maharaj Nakorn Chiangmai Hospital’s social welfare as they will send patients and caregivers who truly need help our way.

Why we exist:

Allow patients to get the best care: Chiang Mai’s government hospital is one of the best hospitals in the North Thailand region. Patients are referred from other hospitals all around Thailand to receive the best treatment available from the hospital that we work with. Our home allows for patients and caregivers to come to Chiang Mai without worrying about the costs of living, as well as providing a safe place where they can call home for the time being.

Allow patients to work through their treatments together: The house is an environment that fosters encouragement and support. We are intentional in building relationships and encouraging them through their treatment. We have Wednesday activities to get to know each other, laugh and play games, listen to a encouraging message, and have a meal together.

Holistic knowledge / Nutrition: We provide eggs and rice for free as they provide vital nutrients that aid in recovery as per the recommendation of the local doctors. We also provide Vitamin C to aid in their immunity systems. With the help of nutritionists and doctors, we also use our time spent with the patients to teach them about eating a healthy diet and living a healthy lifestyle. More often than not, we find that there is a lack of information on living a healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced diet. We spend our time coaching and encouraging patients to pursue a healthy lifestyle to aid in their recovery.

House Services

Our home is located within walking distance of the largest government hospital in Chiang Mai. It has 6 rooms and can house 15-20 patients and caregivers, depending on the need. The home has two bathrooms, and a kitchen that our occupants are welcome to use. We also have transport to take patients back and forth from the hospital. We have the following facilities that we allocate as we see fit:

Private bedrooms (depending on the space and situation)

Dormitory style bedrooms (depending on the situation)

Kitchen facilities: we have a kitchen in which our occupants can cook their own meals. We also provide rice, eggs, and Vitamin C for free.

Cleaning services: We have several workers on-site every day to keep the home as clean and sanitized as possible. With the recent Covid-19 outbreak, we have implemented many new house rules to keep the home as safe as possible for the patients that may be vulnerable to the virus.

The Living Waters Home operates on the generosity of donations. We pay our workers fairly to do their jobs, as well as cover the basic living expenses of the volunteers.