AIBU to worry about elderly relative travelling to Eire without insurance?

[PlayingGracesByMyself]

Elderly relative (mid 80s) with complex health problems - heart, blood pressure, very recent stroke. All being well managed through complex cocktail of medications and they are actually brighter than they have been for ages.

Determined to accompany their friends on a 5 day coach trip to Dublin and Cork. Insurance not looking possible though we will keep trying.

Family feel strongly that they should go and the benefits outweigh the risks. They will be covered for any hospital treatment while they are there.

So the risks are basically their friends having to fend any initial health problems , one of us having to fly out to support them if there is any serious issue, managing a long stay in a hospital outside the UK and at the worst repatriation.

I feel it's endearingly optimistic but a bit bonkers. Everyone eise thinks it's their life so their decision. Obviously we can't stop them but we could try to persuade them if we thought it was really unwise.

Any thoughts?

YABU - YOLO, encourage them to go for it
YANBU - could end in (expensive) tears

Calling the ROI Eire used to be standard on English news etc back in the 80s.

And to answer your question, get a GHIC sorted for them and warn them that they will be on their own.

I took 85 yo father to Ireland last month. A condition of me going was that he got travel insurance. He’s got various pre existing conditions … he was annoyed as it cost a lot. Ie £150, the same as his flight.

What does their GP think?

My travel insurance for a year is 150ish and Im 30 years younger!!!

Fwiw I took my very unwell DM to France with only a GHIC card though we did have our own accommodation there. I figured worst case scenario and she ended up in hospital in France or dying in France that wouldn't be massively worse than her bring hospitalised or dying in the UK, though I knew we wouldn't be able to repatriate her unless she was well enough to get in a car or on a train. In those circumstances we would have additional travel costs and perhaps ongoing travel costs back and forth but the insurance would have been astronomical itself and I wasn't really sure what it was ultimately protecting me against. If she'd died in France we would have had a cremation there. Sounds morbid but really you do have to ask yourself what the worst case scenario is and if it's worse than not going.

We got her home safely in the end and she died 1 month later. I'm glad we did that final trip.

Sorry OP, it’s not Southern Ireland either.
It’s just Ireland. Or you can say Republic of Ireland, but the name of the country is simply Ireland. But don’t worry about it.

I think she should go if at all possible.

PlayingGracesByMyself

(whispers) It’s mn, people like to grab hold of sticks that people might have gotten the wrong end of and beat people with them!!!

@Johnogroats £150 would be fine but we couldn't find any firm that would offer it at all. We'll look again though. @KerryPippin She hasn't asked her GP, that's a good idea.

Tell them not to refer to it as Southern Ireland and they'll probably be grand 😉

Is that because she has ongoing investigations?

DD’s is £300 a year and she’s mid 20s. Thst was the cheapest by a long shot, most refused cover and some quotes were thousands. Dread to think what it’ll cost as she gets older. She can’t get insurance for winter sports but goes skiing in North America anyway!

I do agree OP, for Ireland I think going with a ghic card is an acceptable gamble.

Try Holidaysafe for insurance. I am mid 60s with multiple health conditions including stage 4 cancer. I was being quoted £3-4K for a week in Europe. Someone recommended Holidaysafe to me. Got insurance for £50.

Absolutely understand that OP didn’t know, but it’s not altogether a bad idea to let her know before her mother travels, especially if her mother does need her family’s assistance while on holiday in Ireland.

Using the wrong name for the country unfortunately gets (some) people’s backs up. The wrong name happens a lot you see.
And there are also historical reasons for the dislike of the names OP used, but not going to go into all that now.
Ireland is good. Republic of Ireland’s fine too and can be used to avoid confusion with NI (but that’s not necessary mostly).

I hope your mother has a wonderful trip OP.
I know it must be worrying for you and hope everything goes well.

No it’s not. There is no such place as Eire. Eire means burden in the Irish language. The Irish name for Ireland is Éire.

As in Cork or Kerry?

I'd do my best to get insurance because it can make life a lot easier if there is a problem. My mother fell in Spain and broke her leg, she was taken by ambulance to hospital and admitted, then moved to a private hospital for surgery a day later, she was there for over a week and was being discharged with no mobility aids despite being non weight bearing and her house (holiday home, she lived in Ireland) having steps front and back, thankfully she had excellent insurance and was picked up from the hospital by private ambulance, taken to the airport, travelled on a normal flight but was taken on and off by medical staff, met in Dublin by private ambulance, taken to hospital where they had to remove the pin inserted into her leg and replace it due to the wrong size being used, I dread to think how she would have coped without insurance. I know it would be easier between the UK and Ireland but having the details taken care of just helps so much. On a lighter note, if anything did happen your relative and you put it up here you'd have a queue of Irish Mammies willing, able and eager to help out, she certainly wouldn't be left to manage alone, there'd be visits (with food/books/fresh clothes) organised within minutes!!!

Eire is not used on stamps etc. it’s Éire

I suspect he said Éire…

That’s the South of Ireland and never called Southern Ireland @OchonAgusOchonOh!
Like Galway is in the West of Ireland not Western Ireland iyswim.
(Proud Corkwoman here 😁)

When will people realise that just because they're older they shouldn't be enjoying life. Get an ehic card but all will be fine and if it isn't. Cross that bridge then

Well guess what, just like my keyboard, he didnt have little things above the E when he spoke

Stop derailing this thread, which so far has been helpful for OP.

It's not really about her age, it's her health. A recent stroke.. how recent? Like less that 3 months? She's at a higher risk for another one and that's before sitting on a coach for 5 days. If she gets insurance and feels up it...fair enough but there is a risk to going without insurance or against medical advice.

Yes in know that but it is technically the southern part of Ireland so makes as much sense as the op’s use of Southern Ireland to mean Ireland.

Hairsplitting and petty.

it would be pronounced differently so I suspect he did use the fada when pronouncing it. And your keyboard does accents if you want to do them.