Your parents have gone south every winter for years. This fall, one of them can’t make the trip. Maybe Dad had a stroke over the summer, or Mom’s heart won’t tolerate two days upright in a car, and a flight with a connection is out of the question. The other one still wants to go. Honestly, so does the patient.
That’s what snowbird medical transport to Florida is for. A medical van picks your parent up from their bed up north and drives them, lying down whenever they like, to their bed at the Florida house. A licensed medical professional rides beside them the whole way, and their husband or wife rides in the back with them. It’s a long day on the road, but it’s spent on a real bed, not in a car seat. (Our Florida medical transport page shows the cities we cover.)
How Long Is the Drive From the Northeast to Florida?
Longer than most families guess. Hartford to Fort Myers is close to 1,400 miles. Detroit to Tampa is about 1,200. That’s roughly 20 to 24 hours of driving before meals and fuel, so plan on a day and then some.
We don’t stop at hotels. On a run this long, two drivers take turns, so one rests while the other drives and the van keeps moving through the night. Your parent sleeps on the bed. The well spouse has a bed of their own beside them. Trips this long often leave in the evening and arrive the next day. We can’t promise an exact pickup time when you book, which surprises some families, so build a little slack into the day.
Nobody gets hauled out at rest areas: the van has a bedside commode with a privacy curtain, drinks and snacks are aboard, and the crew stops for meals when your parent is hungry. If a winter storm shuts down the route out of the north, we’ll move the date rather than push through it, and you’ll hear from us as soon as we know.
Can Mom Ride Along With Dad?
Yes, and it’s how many couples make this trip. She gets a seat and a bed to rest on right next to him, so she can hold his hand at two in the morning or sleep straight through Georgia. For many spouses, it’s the first stretch in months when someone else handles the lifting, the pills, and the bathroom trips.
We typically take up to two additional passengers, so a son or daughter can often come along too. Say so on the first call so the seat is planned for.
What About the Car?
We don’t tow cars. Many families have a son or daughter drive the car down behind the van. Some swap places at fuel stops so someone fresh sits with Dad. Our crews are fine with that, as long as the car keeps up; the van can’t detour off its route to meet you. Others ship it or rent one for the season.
Getting the Florida House Ready
Our crew comes inside at both ends. They’ll carry your parent in and settle them into whatever bed is waiting, so the bed has to be there first. (Here’s what bed-to-bed transport means in practice.) A week or two before the trip, work through this:
- If they sleep in a hospital bed up north, have one delivered and set up at the Florida house the day before they arrive.
- Oxygen (concentrator and tanks) rides aboard for the trip. For the winter itself, ask their current supplier or doctor how to set up service in Florida.
- Turn on the power and water, make up the bed, and clear a path from the door to the bedroom. Write down the gate code.
- Line up help at the Florida end. If the kids nearby used to pitch in, who does that now? Book a home health agency or aide before they arrive, not after the first fall.
- Pack medications in their original bottles, in one bag the crew can reach, with a written list of doses and times. Glasses, hearing aids, and a favorite pillow stay with your parent.
We can usually fit four to six carry-on bags plus a folding walker or wheelchair. Ship the rest. If the dog is coming, ask when you book.
What If He Gets Sick in Florida in January?
This is the worry adult children carry all winter, from a thousand miles away. Some setup in the fall helps. Make sure a Florida doctor has seen him, or at least agreed to take him. Send his records and medication list south with him. Move his prescriptions to a Florida pharmacy. Know which hospital is closest to the winter house.
Keep copies of his healthcare proxy or power of attorney at the Florida house too. If he has a DNR or other out-of-hospital order, ask his doctor whether Florida will honor it as is or whether he needs a Florida form.
And if he ends up in a Florida hospital and the plan changes, getting him home early is a trip we make often in the winter months. The hospital’s discharge planner can call us directly; our page for case managers explains how we work with them.
Is He Well Enough to Go at All?
Ask his doctor before you book. This trip is for people who are stable but can’t sit up for a long car ride or manage an airport. If he’s been in and out of the hospital every few weeks, the honest answer may be that this is a winter to stay put. If something does go wrong on the road, the crew re-routes to the nearest emergency room right away.
Planning the Spring Trip Home
The ride north in March or April is quoted as its own one-way trip. Mention it on your first call, then call again a couple of weeks before they want to leave. The last days of one month and the first days of the next tend to fill first, so aim for the middle of the month if you can.
How Much Does Snowbird Medical Transport to Florida Cost?
It depends on the distance, the level of care, and the crew. It’s private-pay, and you’ll have a same-day itemized quote with one price that covers the whole trip. The quote you approve is the price you pay. Here’s what drives the price, and CareCredit financing can spread it out. If either parent served, mention it; we offer a veteran discount.
The Florida winter can still happen. It just needs a trip south built around how your parent is doing now. Call us with the two addresses, a rough date, and an honest picture of how they’re doing, and you’ll have a price the same day. There’s no obligation, and if we’re not the right fit, we’ll tell you.
Call 800-550-1025 any time, day or night, or request a same-day quote online. Or read more about medical transport to and from Florida.