You finish a project. It could be putting away the groceries. Or bathing the cat. It could even be sorting your files to start a new project, like preparing your taxes. And then the phone rings. As soon as you hang up you drop everything. It no longer matters. That's because the rest of your life will remain forever altered.

Living on a tight budget, "the phone call" can grab you by the heart, mind, and soul. A loved one has been tragically injured. Or has suffered a stroke. Or a heart attack. Something. You're needed. And she's over 600 miles away.

Last minute flights are harsh enough on a challenged bank account. Add to that the need to stay with your loved one for an extended period of time.

This is a time when you need a different kind of travel insurance. It's different because it has everything to do with travel and nothing whatever to do with insurance. Except when you need it to be there.

What is this "travel insurance"? It comes in the unlikely form of a vacation membership program. But not just any vacation membership program. When you have an emergency, you need:

• Flexibility for Last Minute Needs
  
• Accessibility 24-7, 365
• Worldwide Service
• Real Value
• Freedom to Extend Your Stay
• Guest Passes for Additional Family Members

It doesn't matter that you won't be using the program for a vacation this time. With the right vacation membership, you will be able to book that last minute flight and still get a discount, find a resort or hotel close to your loved one's hospital or nursing facility for a fraction of the cost, and call in the troops for moral support.

And you won't have to worry about membership renewal fees or other hidden costs.

You'll just be able to get to your loved one's side -- and stay there -- while you're needed. Without emptying your bank account in the process.

Now that's peace of mind.

In days of yore, hospitals would provide supportive family members with a spare bed for a night or two. This is no longer common practice. If you're lucky, you'll be allowed to camp out on the floor in the MICU waiting area. But you might have to provide your own blankets and pillows.

You may understand that MICU waiting areas don't have a lights out time or offer any privacy whatsoever. And no shower facilities. Not exactly a comforting environment for someone just this side of needing medical care yourself for the shock you encountered from "the phone call."

Extended stays can be even scarier -- either you've found a hotel close by that eats up your entire funds the first couple nights, or you wind up in a long-term motel with a funny smell, suspicious looking mattress stains and torn rubber curtains for $20 per night.

With the strain of keeping up with visitation admittance calls, doctors, nurses, hospital administration, insurance processing, and trying to figure out how your life can possibly fit around this crisis, you get very worn out very quickly. Physically and emotionally. A comforting environment can therefore be more than a simple welcome retreat. It can actually help refresh you for the next day's battle.

For U.S. residents, there is no other vacation membership program than MOR Vacations that offers as many resorts, pool homes, and hotel venues within driving distance. That can be a time, money, and worry saver.

An MOR Vacations Diamond membership is a lifetime purchase. That means that no matter how many years after your purchase, when you need to travel, you can. At the best discounts available.

In an MOR Vacations Diamond member's first year of membership, the VIP concierge service is included. Renewals cost $149 each year, which is a great investment for peace of mind. That way members can let the professionally trained service agents handle all the stressful details at no extra cost.

MOR Vacations membership offers real value for all its venues. A quick call to the VIP concierge service center will ensure you find the right place to stay near your loved one at the best rate available -- as low as $149 for the week, depending on the time and location. And although you might not care about the vacationer's benefits associated with the venue in an emergency situation, you will be surrounded with a peaceful environment that helps you regroup and catch your next wind.

Some memberships limit your stay to one week. The VIP concierge service will work with you to ensure you are able to stay in place for as long as you need. Should it become absolutely necessary for you to move to a different unit or location, the VIP concierge service can help you with a smooth transition. It's a good idea to let them know up front that this might be a need.

There is one price for the resort or vacation home, no matter if you have family members join you or not. Naturally the number of people per unit is limited to its ability to sleep that number (a one bedroom can usually sleep up to four), but you are also able to arrange for guest passes -- at your member cost -- for additional supportive family and friends when needed or desired.

With more than 5,400 resorts and 20,000 hotels in more than 30 countries worldwide, the accessibility to an appropriate venue is virtually unlimited. And if there is no venue listed in MOR's inventory, the VIP concierge service can even help you find and book one where you need to be.