Should I keep my family vacation that was planned a year ago, while my aging mother is in the hospital?

Did you say take a break? Are you the primary caregiver? Maybe brother is more worried about having to care give than he is concerned about you getting a vacation which he can not afford.

If you are the primary caregiver, go, have fun. You deserve it. I too have a bullying brother, mouthy, plays the "King". I wouldn't let him have an opinion about my vacation and he certainly wouldn't ask me permission to take one. Go, by all means, go, especially if your mother is fine with it.

It is only a weekend vacation, my mother knows about it, we have prepaid/preplanned future home almost every thing include the clothing she is going to wear in the future resting place if any thing do happen. I am ready to let her go but just hard to deal with the brother who can not afford to take vacation but just bad mouth about if I set boundary or take a break.

I'm thinking of going on a trip this year. I, too, wonder what would happen if father ended up in the hospital. In the past 23years, I would wonder what I would do if mom went in. Now, it's father. For me, it's become normal to worry about that. But would I still go if father is in the hospital at that time....depends...

Would it bother me if the relatives talk about me still going on a trip despite this??
Is father in critical condition that may result in passing away?
Is the vacation refundable or can I change dates for another time when father is no longer in the hospital?
For me, it boils down to this - go with what I can live with.

What does brother have to do with this?

What would your mother tell you? Both my father and aunt died while I was on vacation. Unexpectedly. Life is what life is. I have no guilt or remorse. So it depends how you feel.