When a loved one on the other side of the country needs your care, arranging the move can be tricky. This is especially true when he or she has health problems. If you are going to be the primary caregiver for a loved one moving from another state to yours, a medical flight may be the solution to your problem. Here are a few things you should know about medical flights and how they can help your family.

You May Need To Arrange For A Ground Ambulance

Some medical flight companies offer door-to-door service, which means they use an ambulance to transport your loved one from their location to the airport and reverse the process to provide transport to your home. Others, however, only offer the flight portion of the transportation, which means you may need to contract with a private ambulance company to provide ground transportation. Be sure to ask your medical flight company ahead of time what is included. If ground transport is not part of the package, the company may be able to give you a referral to a ground transport company it works with frequently.

There Are Different Levels Of Medical Care

Medical flight companies offer different levels of medical care based on the needs of the patient. Some patients require a doctor to be on board, while others only need the help of a nurse or nurse's assistant. Talk to your loved one's primary care provider about what type of treatment or observation may be needed while on the flight, and ask for a recommendation about what type of staff should be present. You can then work with the medical flight company to find the appropriate staffing level for the flight.

You May Be Able To Travel With Your Loved One

If you have been out of town to care for your relative, that means you need transportation home too. Instead of booking a separate flight, you may be able to fly with your loved one. This can be comforting for the patient and for you, as you won't have to leave his or her side as you travel to your home. Be sure to let the medical flight company know you wish to travel along so the proper arrangements can be made for you to board the aircraft.

Your medical flight company should be able to help with all of the arrangements, from ensuring that any special dietary restrictions are met for in-flight meals to ensuring the proper paperwork is filled out for your insurance company. If you need to move your loved one a great distance to provide care for him or her, consider using a medical flight company to help with the move.