How do I medically, safely relocate my sister from KY to CA?

A lot depends on if the elder has dementia and how advanced. My dad was pretty advanced in his dementia but was still fairly mobile. He didn’t really need EMTs and an ambulance so my wife and I picked him at rehab in WV, had the car loaded with walker, wheelchair, pads, snacks water and some low dose Ativan and went for it.

TWELVE LONG HOURS later, made it to his nursing home in northern Michigan. He did pretty well. Nurses all said he’d sleep the whole time........Nope. Not one minute did he sleep! Even with vitamin A. No short term memory. Question/answer loop every 30 seconds for 12 hours. Lots of pee stops, pull,up changes. Thank god for the big private family bathrooms in most interstate rest stops.

We had considered an RV but that’s a big hassle, not cheap, small bathroom and slow. We hauled ass in a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

We all survived and dad lived another year in a nice place where I could see him every day until Covid hit.

What is "medical" about the transport needed for relocation? Is she on a ventilator?? Does she require oxygen??? You need to be more specific about her medical needs while in transport.

This question has been asked many times. The one response I liked was renting an RV. They come in different sizes. This way you have a bed if needed and places to sit. A kitchen and a potty. You can spend nights in an RV park or a hotel.

"Medical transport" is what this is called when you go to research companies. If she only needs help getting into and out of a vehicle but is otherwise mobile and has no problem sitting in a vehicle for the long days of driving, then you should consider hiring a trusted relative to do this. Driving will mean she needs at least 1 night in a motel. A long ride in a bouncy van or ambulance won't be pleasant for her. You might as well pay yourself or someone in your own family for this assignment because as Windyridge has said it is very expensive. Is she not able to fly? Does she need medical equipment to travel with her (like oxygen tank, etc)? Two first-class tickets for a non-stop flight would still be cheaper. She should be paying for this out of her own funds.

It’s very expensive. A medical transport for my dad would have been $7000 for about 600 miles.

Call the Area Agency on Aging in your area. There may be companies in your area that provide that service. It, likely, will be very costly. Is it impossible for you to go get her? What are the medical issues of concern?