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

Irish person here. The OP apologised for her innocent mistake, those who went on and on about Éire vs Ireland are embarrassing themselves. She's had to start a new thread to get sensible responses to her completely legit concerns ffs.

Oh dear, that was really very annoying.

It might have been because Poland is officially The Republic of Poland, but Ireland is simply Ireland and that’s clearer on a letter? Though the Republic of Ireland is used too (and can be useful if you need to distinguish between the country and the island) the actual, official name of the country is Ireland (in English).
Some Irish people also seem to be unaware of this btw (looking at you DH 😁).

The gang at the sorting office must have been half asleep though!!

I’m really sorry this thread was derailed so much that OP had to start another. PP is right, it is very embarrassing. I wish people would rtft or at least all an OP’s posts before replying. The issue, an innocent mistake, was addressed very early on.

You used retro-colonial language and behaved as if Ireland were some kind of outpost of civilisation. It's tiringly common from a certain type of British person.

It's still not clear what exactly you want from these threads. It's not your decision whether your elderly relative travels.

I’m embarrassed by what you’re saying @AgathaHoccleve. I’m Irish. OP made an innocent and understandable mistake about the name of the country. She has been nothing but respectful throughout. You’re being horrible.

It is normal to be worried about an elderly relative in poor health and to try and help mitigate any risks they might face.

People who have read the full thread and given me the slightest fraction of benefit of the doubt have given me thoughtful and useful feedback. There are several posts on the new thread that have offered new insight so I'm glad I did as suggested and posted it.

There is literally nowhere that I have implied Ireland has a second class health care system.

No problem calling it Eire, just don't call it 'Southern Ireland' . 👍
'The Republic of Ireland' if you want to make it clear to the wilfully ignorant 🙂

Arghhhh! Are you ok?!

OP I'd leave this thread and move on. Some really unhinged vibes have been unleashed x

Yes, just realised responding is keeping this one alive. Will stop now but thanks to all who actually read and responded to my posts.

1. Hold down the Alt Gr button + vowel for áéíóú
2. Hold down Alt Gr + vowel + shift for ÁÉÍÓÚ

What a disgusting post

Oh my word. This is brilliant, thank you. Every day is a school day.

I agree with you @likelysuspect . I feel that @AgathaHoccleve posts are deliberately needling and unpleasant.

To be fair I have learned a lot about Éire (see what I did 😁), Ireland and how some posters think that the ignorance of some of the other posters is deliberate, when it is obvious that the OP was absolutely not being goady in the slightest.

ÈęƴțďâɓhÇł

Just 🤣
practising.

😁

I am also Irish and also think this is a completely unnecessary thread derail.

Also Irish and weighed in. Totally accept it wasn’t meant to be a slur or anything. I know you were posting in good faith.

Hope you get insurance sorted. At least you don’t have to worry about emergency healthcare which is on a par with the UK.

As there is no real border in the whole of Ireland. Do people who cross the border to work/shop etc all have medical insurance.
Because lots of people live in one country and work in the other?

You don’t need it for treatment. OP was afraid her relative could be hospitalised while in Ireland. The cost of getting them home while potentially still very ill (eg after a stroke) could then be prohibitive without insurance.

Ah, I was thinking about hospital care!

I'm surprised by that. My understanding was that normally the GHIC and it's predecessors entitled you only to what a local person would be entitled to, not what you would get at home.

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.
seriously? 🤣

Well, I wouldn't say it was disgusting but I would say some of the Irish posters who've been determined to make a point, don't know the best way to make a point.
Eire Èire Éire Êire Ëire Ěire Ẽire Ēire Ėire Ęire.
Crack craic on.

It's not medical insurance she is talking about, it's travel insurance. To cover medical repatriation.

And the worry of the wisdom of the choices made by the vulnerable person she loves.

It was people not reading the thread that was a big part of the problem as per usual. It meant that something that was cleared up after a few posts kept on being repeated again and again. Not at all fair on OP.
(Leave our poor fada alone though, it does great work 😊)