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Elderly parents
Original poster

Holiday insurance and dementia problem.

127 replies

picklemepopcorn · 29/10/2024 16:47

I know you will appreciate my quandary. DM has last minute booked a holiday, without consultation with anyone. It leaves this Friday.
It’s totally unsuitable. 🤐🤯

Can we cancel and get it covered by insurance? I’m concerned about her wellbeing as it’s an arduous trip. She also can’t actually get to it, at the moment.

I think she would cancel if she thought she’d get her money back.

Any ideas or wisdom from previous experience?

She’s 84 and may or may not be suffering dementia. Which she may or may not have declared when she bought her annual travel insurance a year ago.

I don’t know. We don’t have PoA.

Any idea where I can go for help? AgeUK will be my first phone call.

OP posts:
Rocknrollstar · 29/10/2024 17:20

The only way to claim on travel insurance is to have a medical certificate saying she can’t travel and why. I don’t think dementia on its own is a reason for not travelling.You say it is unsuitable but why? Does it involve a lot of walking? And why can’t she get to it? Insurance won’t cover a cancellation just because she booked an unsuitable trip or because someone has changed their mind.

unsync · 29/10/2024 17:18

I think you have a grace period to cancel unless she went into a travel agency. Look at the T&Cs. I would be surprised if travel insurance covered the booking of an unsuitable holiday though.

If you are unsure of dementia, has she been to the GP for an assessment? A dementia diagnosis does not prevent travel or obtaining insurance. It requires a bit more planning, but perfectly doable, certainly in the earlier stages.