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Your elderly parent die when you're on holiday?

155 replies

familyicons · 05/07/2026 07:17

So im thinking an unplanned death (apart from old or frail) elderly widow/widower parent
anyone siblings or family not tell them until they got back or tell them in the middle of the holiday and expect them to come back? Or tell them in the middle of the holiday and say "stay there nothing's changing".
i'm just wondering, what would happen if this happened to me. Big expensive holiday coming up so obviously I'm overthinking.!!

OP posts:
igelkott2026 · 07/07/2026 12:42

My father died when I was on a business trip, I came back when planned as there was no need to cut it short, it didn't make him any less dead. I had a feeling something would happen while I was away but it was just one of those things. He was in a care home, so they kept phoning every 5 minutes, probably worried that the room wouldn't get emptied quickly enough so they could get the next resident in.

Sadandalwayswillbe · 07/07/2026 13:14

My son died completely unexpectedly when I was on holiday. It was a weeks cruise and we were not contactable so I didn’t even hear until a day afterwards. It was impossible to find any flights home immediately so I just had to stay on the ship until the cruise ended 5 days later. I cannot imagine a more traumatic event. I do remember not going out of the room hardly at all as I didn’t want to spoil anyone else’s holiday with my grief but it was particularly bad as we’d booked an inside cabin to save some money. [As an aside, the ships doctor was brilliant in prescribing me some pills to help me through those days (with no charge) and I was given free unrestricted WiFi.]

In spite of this I’m still glad I was told.

Cherrysoup · 07/07/2026 13:19

My dad died while I was on a school trip with 40 kids. I was trip leader. There was no way I could just dump the trip, so I had a horrible 2 days then had to travel hours back with everyone on the coach. It wasn't nice, but there was nothing I could do. I had already booked to fly out to their holiday destination as a massive surprise and the entire family was going, so mum was kind of obliged to go with them, or they'd have all missed out (big group) and would have been alone. Bloody awful, frankly.

I'm repeating the trip for the first time this year (will be interesting), but at least the family will be there in case my ancient mother needs them. I think if something happened to her, I'd ask them to postpone any arrangements til I got home.

JohnofWessex · 07/07/2026 13:40

My brother and his wife spent a year abroad many years ago.

Our father was very frail by then.

My mother gave clear instructions that he wasnt to come home if our father died.

In the event he had to be dissuaded from going to Heathrow to pick them up when they returned.

But the instructions were clear and well understood

Additup · 07/07/2026 13:43

This sort of happened to someone I know. They were days into a long trip to Australia when her elderly mother who was a PITA and very demanding suddenly died.
They arranged for the deceased to be put on ice until their return rather than cancel the trip and return home.

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