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

They will get insurance it will be costly but check out companies for older people like saga, and .they are with a coach company they will look after them, Ireland isn't far away less than an hours flight if anything happens.

It’s a pejorative term about a hundred years out of date, often used these days when being deliberately offensive, so it’s not a bad idea for them to be aware of it, but obviously not the main point of the thread and apart some eye rolling no one will making an issue out of it while there! I would definitely explore insurance a bit more to see if it’s feasible and hope they have a great trip! FYI - if they need mediation while in Ireland, they can use their NHS number for prescription which will be much cheaper - potentially for GP visits too, but clarify that.

It’s really not. Please take our word for it. Don’t want to go to the whys too much as the thread has been derailed enough already.

An idea, I managed to negotiate with my insurance that I’d use my ghic card and only use insurance if it wasn’t covered by ghic eg repatriation due to some health issues picked up recently, also excess is £500 now bit ouch but at least I have catastrophic cover

Unless you a) Knew the E had an fada accent and b) Knew how different it would sound with the accent and c) Knew how to find out how to do it I think you are being unfair.

I have just googled it, and for those who want to know you press Alt 0201 on a laptop to get this É. I'm not sure how you would get this on a phone.

It’s a pejorative term about a hundred years out of date, often used these days when being deliberately offensive

I didn't know this and I suspect a lot of non Irish people don't either.

Just copied this from AI:

The British government and media largely stopped using "Eire" (often written without the fada accent) after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, transitioning to the official name "Ireland". While "Éire" (with the accent) is technically correct in Irish (since 1937), British usage transitioned to "Republic of Ireland" after 1949 before finally adopting "Ireland" in 1998

No. There's an agreement between the UK and Ireland that each gets whatever the local treatment is at no additional charge when visiting. And there's a maximum charge of €120 for a hospital admission in Ireland. And that's waived if you're referred there by a GP.

I have just googled it, and for those who want to know you press Alt 0201 on a laptop to get this É. I'm not sure how you would get this on a phone.

@RampantIvy If you press and hold a letter key on your phone a range of accented forms of the letter will pop up for you to choose.

The issue is if she becomes unwell in Ireland and needs medical repatriation to Great Britain, that can cost thousands. Up to 30k? Or else she stays in hospital in Ireland, away from her family, for possibly months until she recovers enough to be brought home.

If you are talking about Ireland just say Ireland. If you are talking about Northern Ireland then say Northern Ireland.
Ireland is a country there is no confusion.

That's brilliant. I never knew this. Just goes to show I never type in French on my phone.

It's just Ireland. No need for Southern or anything else you want to put in front of it. Just say Ireland.

Why do you call it Eire?
It's Ireland.

Donegal

Try AllClear insurance. They insured me while I had cancer.
It might cost more than the trip, but it’s cheaper than a medical repatriation which often has to be by air ambulance. Air ambulance would be around £20k minimum, higher if need ICU level care on board.

I say Ireland when I’m speaking so am not asking because I’m worried I’ve got it wrong, but just out of interest can you explain why it’s a problem to say Eire when otherwise speaking in English? Is it just because it’s weird to suddenly switch languages?

My worry would be getting her back if something went wrong- medical transportation isn't easy. A family member needed it between Scotland and England and without travel insurance it took a long time to organise (and costs a lot)....

Very simple on a phone. Just hold your finger down on the e and you get all the options for accents. On a laptop you press AltGr and the vowel you want to add the fada to so no need to remember the number codes.

It’s generally a good idea to stick to the English name if you have no understanding of the language you are attempting to use.

I feel a tasteless joke about Stroke City coming on.
Hope the trip goes well OP.

Oh and private medical repatriation we were quoted as £125,000 needed ICU level care between Scotland and london

Jakers the cats are out tonight 🤣

Firstly, the word Eire means burden. The name of the country is Éire in Irish. Also there are political and historical issues. The word Eire (which actually means burden and is not your correct name in Irish) was used by the British establishment as a way of refusing to acknowledge Ireland as a sovereign nation. The British avoided using the name Ireland as they believed it implied sovereignty over the whole island. It is only since the GFA that they have used the name Ireland.

You wouldn’t refer to Germany as Deutchland when speakiing English so why would you use the Irish name for Ireland, particularly when you can’t even spell it correctly?

Ah good luck. It’s not easy - my instinct is don’t stand in their optimistic way but I know it’s nerve wracking. Just back from a week in Ireland with my elderly parents (86, 87) who have many things wrong with them and we had a few minor crises but all resolved. No insurance and was easier for me in some ways because I was there but I think I would not stand in way.

ALSO all the people going on about Eire/Ireland and how you find accents you don’t even need on a keyboard make me want to weep for humanity.

Everyone understood what you meant, some people would just prefer not to help. Hope it goes well if they go

OchonAgusOchonOh

I got a d in Irish, possibly because of my issues with fadas 😉

Oh, that’s not at issue, but if I were calling a country by a name with connotation which, when used by a Brutish person is negative, I think I’d want to know.

Please don’t speak on behalf of Irish people. It’s unspeakably arrogant.