To ask if anyone has any experience of medical repatriation?

[catgirl1976]

DSis, Dbro and I have long suspected DF has dementia. He has refused to engage with GP or any sort of support for years and his doctors have been useless and said he's fine. He is not. He has barred his doctors from speaking to us after previous attempts to get him some help.

To cut a very long story short he has managed to get himself to Benidorm (he has periods of lucidity) however lost the plot when he's got there. We did not know he was going. First we know is a jumbled call from the Spanish police and from what we can piece together he has landed, got a taxi to the wrong city and wrong hotel, lost all his money, passports etc and 2 days later been picked up by police. The police took him to the right hotel where he sat in the lounge saying they had robbed him at knifepoint and that the hotel was holding him against his will.

DBro flew out there on Wednesday but by the time he got there DF had gone missing again from that hotel. DBro got in to his room and found a key card for the hotel in the wrong city, went there, no sign of DF but his money etc was in the room he was in. DBro collected all of that, went to the right hotel - still missing. Then he was eventually picked up having collapsed in the street after wandering round all day in the heat, confused with nothing to drink.

Since Wednesday DF has been strapped to a bed in a Spanish hospital. This morning they diagnosed dementia (we have been trying to get a diagnosis for about a year so some good news I guess although he thinks he's on a boat in Scotland) and said he needs to be medically repatriated with a registered nurse then admitted to hospital for psychiatric evaluation and care. Amazingly he did take out travel insurance. The consulate have also been quite helpful. DBro is now travelling back having been in Benidorm since Wednesday. He's got hold of the travel insurance people who have passed him on to their complex claims people who will call him. Hopefully they will have some answers.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before? How long does repatriation take? Will they take him straight to the hospital in the UK? Who lets the hospital know he is coming? Generally wtf happens next? We've no clue and are just hoping the travel insurance people have all the answers but I just feel so......confused and powerless. DSis will go back out there to accompany him on the repatriation flight if needed but.............I just don't know what happens next. If anyone has been through anything like this any advice would be appreciated.

I think the first thing is ensuring he is medically fit to travel and finding an appropriate carrier if he needs adjustments to travel eg an accompanying medic or restraints etc..

I am sorry you are going through this it sounds awful, but at least the authorities in Spain seem to have done everything they can.

You'll need to wait to hear from the insurers as medical repatriation flights can be pricey.

What an awful situation for you... I'm not sure in a case like this but I have a feeling the travel insurance will get him back to the UK and that the rest is up to you to deal with e.g. GP. I hope you get the support you need. List and ask all these questions to the insurers.

The Spanish medical staff and the british consulate have e been really good according to DB. We just don’t know what happens next. I’ve looked at the cost of repatriation and it is literally hundreds of thousands - really hope he’s covered. He seems to have up to five million on his policy and he has actually declared things like his diabetes and bad knee and given the doctors over here have been saying there’s nothing wrong with him mentally he’s correct in not declaring anything along those lines so fingers crossed. It’s just such a mess.

I was medically repatriated. They will do every case on a case by case basis depending what’s needed. So I had a private ambulance to the airport and an extra seat paid for me on the plane as I’d broken my leg. But I didn’t need anyone travelling with me and I didn’t need taking to the hospital the other end.

I’d suspect the insurance will try and get away with paying as little as possible. So hopefully they will agree to a nurse to accompany him but they might even try and argue this isn’t needed if he’s not needing any actual medical attention.

Hundreds of thousands will be for a private plane. Their starting point will be a normal scheduled flight.

They’ve said he needs admitting to hospital in the UK and he’s been strapped to a bed wearing nothing but a nappy since Wednesday so he really ain’t fit to fly on a normal plane. He’s no idea where he is or what’s going on. He can get quite aggressive though hasn’t yet so far. Mind you they’ve sedated him a lot

Have they tested him for a uti btw?

Yeah, that sounds like he isn’t suitable for a scheduled flight! Bless you, must be such a worry.

Although maybe if he’s sedated and restrained and with a nurse he could go on a normal flight - I just don’t know

Sorry you broke you leg on holiday @QuintanaRoo - must have been awful 😞

My mother collapsed on a flight home and was offloaded in Athens. After a few days in hospital she was escorted back by a doctor on a scheduled flight. Insurance paid.

Oof…That sounds rough. No advice but offering a long distance bit of support.

Thanks @Cyclistmumgrandma - hope she is ok now

I think the insurance company would have to discuss with the airline to see if they’d be happy. Ime the insurance were good and they sorted everything out.

And thanks everyone for all the messages of support. It feels like a bad dream

Well thank goodness he had insurance. Small mercies and all that.

My friend was repatriated home with a mental illness. As he can walk etc it's a low key intervention. Basically like catching a normal flight He will come with your brother back. The hospitals in Spain are excellent and leading in dementia so hes in the right place. They will let him come home when he is safe to do so. He will be more confused as he was dehydrated let them give him the
fluids etc.

You will need to request assistance at the airport. This is free

I really hope the insurance is good because airlines can be very funny about transporting people with dementia. If he was to go on a regular flight with a nurse accompanying him etc. We went through this getting my dad back from the other side of the world a few months ago and the airlines were very difficult. But the situation was slightly different because he had been diagnosed with dementia before leaving for the holiday.

Firstly dehydration can cause rapid deterioration however once hydrated they can become more lucid. With permission of his drs and the airline he could take a scheduled flight potentially, they could investigate a light sedative. If this isn't an option and the medical insurance is a no I highly suggest driving via Santander ferry and collecting him, not cheap in summer but a couple of thousand maybe rather than a hundred thousand. As long as he's calm enough in the car you can board then just stay in the cabin, or alternatively if he's calm in the car but don't think he'll cope with the 24 hour crossing in the cabin, drive to calais and take the shuttle. It's basically 24 hours of driving so you'd need overnight rests but still possible

From what you're a saying with the periods of lucidity that include quite logical actions: booking a holiday, paying for insurance, travelling alone to another country, dispersed with wandering around and paranoia, this is likely a episode of delirium in the context of cognitive decline.

Either this episode needs to pass and he needs to be able to understand the need to travel back and cooperate with this (who knows how long that will take, potentially days if it is a UTI or other infection is the cause as suggested by another user).

Or if he remains in this state and needs to travel I don't think a nurse will cut it, I highly doubt a nurse would feel comfortable or even be allowed to do this, the only medical professional who would likely feel comfortable sedating someone on a commercial flight is likely an anesthetist. They will most likely ask for at least a few seats and may want to be in first class to have more room.

I don't think dementia care is that great in Spain, from my professional experience if he is given a bit of time to recover from his delirium he might well be well enough to travel as normal. Anyone strapped to a bed would be agitated. Obvious you can't cure dementia but you can reduce the agitation

Keep in touch with the insurers and make sure any receipts and records are kept. Which insurer is it? Medical repatriation can be pricey but remember the prices you've googled could be for a private plane with medical team, getting a nurse on a flight with him would be expensive but no where near the same.

Speak to adult social services for advice and an initial assessment. If you think he's at risk of discharging himself from hospital going back on holiday they could get a court order to get ports & airports notified etc.

Hopefully the GP & hospital will come up with a plan once he's settled back here but just take it one step at a time.

I'm so sorry OP, I haven't got any useful advice to share -hopefully the insurance company will be quick to respond and helpful. Just wanted to voice my support and wish you the very best of luck. Dementia is absolutely awful for both the sufferer and the family and it sounds like you are all doing the very best you can in such complicated circumstances. You sound a great and supportive family ❤️