Medical Alert/ICE

JMack88

Someone else asked about the best medic alert for themselves as a solo caregiver. My question is a little different.

My mother has never worn any jewelry other than her watch her entire life. I purchased her a simple medic alert bracelet a while ago because she's allergic to penicillin. She wore it briefly but then once she had mild cognitive impairment, she started fussing about taking it off when she wanted to shower and then didn't want to put it on again. Bottom line is she basically will not wear anything around her neck or her wrist.

I'm considering getting her one of those medic alert things that laces onto your tennis shoes so she gets used to it and the ICE (in case of emergency) contact information will be on her person if anything happens. Something similar to the photo I found on Amazon.

However, I don't know if this would be likely to work, or if Emergency Services would even notice it on her foot. Does anyone else have experience with this style of medical alert or are there other suggestions?

harshedbuzz

I like Road ID.

They have tags that fit on watchbands as well as shoe tags.

ROAD iD - World Leaders in Runner ID, Cycling ID & Medical ID

HB

CorrieG

There is a bracelet sold that you can’t take off by yourself but I don’t know if you want to go that far. Is she attached to her phone? I wrote my DH’s details on a piece of paper and took a picture with his cell phone. Then I made it the Lock Screen background.

JMack88

@harshedbuzz Thank you, I'd been looking at their stuff and it's good to know someone likes it irl.

@CorrieG I don't think we're ready to go that far, but your idea about the lock screen has merit. Although mom's not super attached to her phone and it is a flip phone not a smart phone.

Marta

My husband wore a traditional Medic Alert bracelet. He wandered off while I paid the bill at a restaurant, which was quite close to the hospital where he had practiced for many years. He was about stage 4. By the time I got the car he had vanished. After looking everywhere I called police.

Hours later police brought him home. He had walked to that ER where he used to admit his patients. Staff just chatted with him as they thought he was just visiting. No one alerted police. At the time my impression was that EVERY one knew Dr. K had Alzheimer’s.

No one checked for a Medic Alert. These were ER staff.

Point being is that there is no substitute for human monitoring.