A Guide to the House's Computer Room and Printing Services
Australians serving with joint task forces or posted to Europe often find themselves navigating medical care far from home. When a service member, veteran, or coalition family member is admitted to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the Fisher House stands ready with a roof over their head and a range of practical amenities, including a dedicated computer room and printing services. For families travelling from places like Townsville, Wagga Wagga, or the outer suburbs of Brisbane, knowing what tech support is on offer can make a long-distance stay feel less isolating.
The two Fisher House buildings sit within walking distance of the hospital gates, and both contain spaces designed for guests who need to stay connected. The computer room has become a quiet hub where parents finish remote work, kids keep up with school assignments, and patients themselves handle paperwork between appointments. Printing services complement the digital setup, helping families take care of forms, travel documents, and medical records without leaving the property.
This walkthrough covers everything from how the room is set up to how Australians flying in from RAAF bases or on compassionate leave can use the printers, scanners, and Wi-Fi with confidence. It also points to ways the wider community can keep these resources running smoothly for the next wave of guests.
Inside the computer room and what it offers
The computer room is a small, air-conditioned space equipped with a couple of desktop workstations, a multifunction printer, and a high-speed internet connection. Guests can use the desktops for tasks that are tricky on a phone, such as filling out long medical claim forms through Defence Force leave portals or logging into telehealth appointments with specialists back in Australia. The room also doubles as a quiet spot for video calls home, particularly when a partner or older parent is staying at the hospital and a younger family member needs privacy.
Alongside the desktop machines, the room provides a scanner, a colour printer, and a basic black-and-white printer. A small stack of A4 paper is kept on the shelf next to the machines, and a volunteer restocks it throughout the week. Many guests do not realise until they arrive that the printer can also handle duplex printing, which saves paper when printing out long policy documents or medical histories.
| Resource | Availability | Best for | Cost to guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop computers | 24/7 with room key | Online forms, video calls, telehealth | Free |
| Colour printer | During staffed hours | Photos, forms with logos, cards | Free, paper provided |
| Black-and-white printer | 24/7 | Medical records, travel docs | Free, paper provided |
| Scanner | 24/7 | Digitising prescriptions, IDs | Free |
| Wi-Fi access | Throughout both houses | Personal devices | Free |
The workstations run a standard Windows environment with commonly used browsers and a basic office suite. Guests who need specialist software, such as editing tools for a Defence-issued laptop, usually bring their own device and use the Wi-Fi instead.
Checking in and getting access
Access to the computer room is included with every guest stay, and there is no separate booking required. After the standard check-in at the front desk, where families receive their room key and a brief orientation, the computer room is available right away. House rules ask that guests sign in on the log sheet near the door during their first visit, mainly so staff can keep an eye on equipment wear and make sure consumables are topped up.
For Australian families, this is often one of the first practical questions handled after a long flight through Frankfurt or a connection from Dubai. Staff are used to explaining the setup in plain language, and many are familiar with the kinds of forms Defence families need to print, such as travel reimbursement claims or compassionate leave paperwork. The orientation also covers where to find adapters for Australian power plugs, since most of the outlets at Fisher House follow the European standard.
Families who are mid-stay and need extra time on the computers can request a longer access window from the duty manager. The room is shared, so late-night sessions are usually fine as long as others are not waiting. Parents with young children often coordinate with other guests to take turns, especially when the kids want to use the computers for schoolwork connected to an Australian curriculum program.
Printing, scanning, and document help
The printing setup is designed for short, practical jobs rather than large commercial runs. Each guest has a small allocation of free prints, and staff can extend this when a family is dealing with a longer medical situation. Common print jobs include flight itineraries, medical referral letters, school enrolment forms for kids who will attend classes in Germany, and colour copies of family photos that grandparents back in Australia have asked for.
The colour printer uses individual ink cartridges, and guests are asked to be mindful of how much ink their jobs use. For large print jobs, such as printing out a complete set of medical records for a specialist back home, staff can suggest alternatives. Some families choose to save documents to a USB stick and have them printed at a local copy shop during a weekend trip into Kaiserslautern, while others coordinate with the hospital's own patient administration office.
Scanning is straightforward, and the scanner handles both single pages and small stacks. Many Australian families use it to digitise handwritten letters from grandparents or to send a copy of a treatment plan to a GP in suburban Melbourne or a regional town in Queensland. For those needing a hand with a document that will not scan cleanly, the volunteer on duty is usually happy to help sort out the page alignment.
Staying connected to Australia
For anyone travelling from an ADF posting, the time difference and distance can make even simple communication feel tricky. The computer room helps bridge that gap with reliable Wi-Fi that supports video calls on platforms commonly used by Defence families, such as WhatsApp, Signal, and Microsoft Teams. A web camera and headset sit on the desk next to the main workstation, ready for guests who do not have their own gear with them.
Parents often use the room to sit down with kids and review school work sent from Australian teachers. Because some schools send assignments through portals that do not work well on phones, having a real keyboard and a stable connection makes a real difference. The room also sees plenty of use for online banking, superannuation queries, and keeping Centrelink or MyService accounts up to date while a family member is in hospital.
Adults who are in Germany for longer stretches sometimes use the desktop to take short online courses, complete professional development, or write up a journal they plan to share with family. The environment is quiet, the chairs are comfortable enough for a couple of hours, and there is no pressure to finish quickly. A small noticeboard near the door sometimes carries tips from other guests, including recommended VPN settings for accessing Australian streaming services like ABC iView or SBS On Demand.
How families use the space during a stay
Every family's pattern of use looks a little different. Some check in, log on once a day to send a quick email, and head straight to the hospital. Others, especially those supporting a patient through a longer recovery, treat the computer room as a daily office. A common rhythm includes a morning check-in with the medical team, followed by a couple of hours in the room to handle paperwork, then an afternoon visit back to the ward.
Kids gravitate toward the room in the evenings, particularly when they need to finish homework or join a school assembly happening live back in Australia. The Fisher House keeps a few sets of children's headphones and a small selection of board games nearby, but the computers tend to be the main draw for school-age guests. Parents appreciate that the room is supervised by the house manager during peak hours, which keeps things calm and respectful.
Guests often share practical tips in the firsthand experiences section of the website, including which time of day the printers have the most paper loaded, and how to get a quick walk-in appointment at the medical centre on the rare day the room is busier than usual. Reading through these accounts before a first stay is a good way to set expectations.
Supporting the computer room and printing services
Keeping the technology running costs money, and the Fisher House relies on donations to refresh the computers, replace ink cartridges, and maintain the network. Australian supporters often contribute through international bank transfers or partner organisations, and the house is grateful for both one-off gifts and regular monthly contributions. Anyone interested in helping can follow the step-by-step donation guide on the website, which explains the various ways to give, including in-kind support such as new keyboards or printer cartridges.
Volunteers play a big role in keeping the space tidy, helping less tech-confident guests log in for the first time, and stepping in when a printer jams mid-job. A few Australian expats living in the Kaiserslautern area have made this a regular part of their week, and the house is always looking for new helpers. Training is provided on-site, and the commitment can be as little as a couple of hours a month.
For supporters who want to see the broader impact of these kinds of family support projects, partner organisations such as Inmed Andes offer useful context on how accommodation programs strengthen health outcomes for families in remote or high-need regions. Connecting with similar initiatives helps the Fisher House team refine its own services and learn from peer programs around the world.
If you are an Australian family preparing for a stay, reach out to the Fisher House team through the website contact form before you fly. They will confirm eligibility, send you a welcome pack with the latest on the computer room hours, and answer any questions about whether to pack your own laptop or plan to use the house's setup.