Microchipping Old People

MedicPrincess

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We ran a call at 0625 for an 87 y/o F who was confused. When we got on scene there were 6 SO cars in the drive of these very high priced condos that overlook the Gulf. It was like what the heck did this 87 yo do to get all these deputies here.

When we get up to the condo they tell us they have been knocking on doors of the condos since 0300 trying to find out where she is staying. Since they can't locate her condo, and she is barefoot and in just some thin jammies, we need to go ahead and take her to the ER for her safety until family can be located.

She was so small and scared. While taking her down the elevator she started to cry a little. Holding her hand I asked her what was the matter, to which she simply said, "I'm just afraid." and then put her other arm around me and hugged me. As our FF were loading her into our ambulance (she still had my hands), a guy yelled her name from the 6th floor. Her eyes light up and she told us that is her grandson. I swear if he could have leaped over the balcony he would have.

He met us at the elevator and told us they had got into town the day before, to stay for 2 months. He had got up at 0100 and helped her to the bathroom and tucked her back in. At somepoint she had gotten up, and wandered out the front door. She knocked on the door of someones condo that was on the other side of the building and 3 floors down at 0300 and asked to use the bathroom. Luckily, they didn't turn her away, bringing her in and calling law enforcement. That night it was 22 degrees over night. It could have been so much worse. She has dementia.

So that got us to talking about microchipping. We do it to our animals, so if they get lost we can get them back. Is it really so unreasonable to microchip our loved ones when its time. Law enforcement could simply scan and get emergency contact numbers and get these families back together so much faster.
 

Chimpie

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Airwaygoddess

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Bless their hearts, It's a tough thing growing old. -_-
 

Chimpie

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Or bracelets...
With bracelets you have the stigmatism (I'm tired and really can't think clearly enough to spell correctly so bare with me.) of being old and fragile, not to mention the risk of them taking it off.

With a microchip they'll forget it's even in there. (Okay, that was bad I know.)

I'm going to bed.
 

eging1451

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With bracelets you have the stigmatism (I'm tired and really can't think clearly enough to spell correctly so bare with me.) of being old and fragile, not to mention the risk of them taking it off.

With a microchip they'll forget it's even in there. (Okay, that was bad I know.)

I'm going to bed.

In my opinion, "microchipping" elderly people would be inhumane. That's just me. I wouldn't want to be "microchiped".
 
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MedicPrincess

MedicPrincess

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The problem I see with braclets is them coming off. Watch a person with dementia for a while. Often times they will pick and pull and things. Something like a braclet will catch their attention and they may pick at it until it comes off.

In my opinion, "microchipping" elderly people would be inhumane. That's just me. I wouldn't want to be "microchiped".

What would be inhumane about it? It goes in as a shot, and remains in place.

If the technology would become available, I think it would be more inhumane to allow a little old lady to wander the streets barefoot in below freezing temps and then have to haul her to the ER because nobody knows where she belongs.

Heck, I'd microchip my kid if I could as well.
 

zvi-emt

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chips

I would definitely want a chip implanted in me, why not, if it could have my emergency contacts, medical history, drug allergies and physician contact info. I would love the peace of mind, and seriously, i would likely forget it was in there in no time. I do however think it should be voluntary and its kind of creepy to implant chips in old people without their consent.
 

BossyCow

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The bracelets do work. They are not something easily removed.
 

Airwaygoddess

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The bracelets do work. They are not something easily removed.

I agree with BossyCow, The elderly are our mothers and fathers, not cattle. No offense meant towards others but it just sounds humiliating to me.
 

yowzer

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What about an AVL-type setup implanted somewhere handy (AOPL)? Someone wanders away, and you just get PD to look her up on the computer to find out where she got off that bus instead of having to wait for her to get scanned for microchips.

No muss, no fuss.

:)
 

Ridryder911

EMS Guru
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Apparently some business are now "implanting" chips into personal for identification purposes for security measures. My state just passed a bill that would not allow such industries to perform this. I am sure they would not allow "chips" to be installed into our elderly.

R/r 911
 

Flight-LP

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I too believe it to be inhumane (Why does the book of Revelation come to mind?!?!?!?!?). Plus, we all know that in todays "PC" environment, congress would never allow it unless it is an "opt - in" option.

With that in mind, I pose a question.................

What ever happened to personal accountability and responsibility? If this little lady has dementia, why wasn't a caretaker at her side? Was the grandson tasked with watching her? If so, why didn't he? No one to watch her, why isn't she in an assisted living facility that can supply the personnel to ensure her safety? Why must we resort to remote monitoring when the truth is we need to return to accepting responsibility and accountability. Sorry for the rant, but society today really sucks sometimes..............
 

firecoins

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Great EMS wants to turn us into Orwell's 1984. Lets micro chip the children so they get kidnaped, the elderly so they don't gel lost, ex convicts who have done their time particulaly sex offenders of all types, teenage drivers so we know who they are, everyone who may at any point call 911 in an emergency so they don't have to know where they are.

Lets save time and place a microchip in everyone.
 

Stevo

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Lets save time and place a microchip in everyone.

sure , then we can all have a nice steaming bowl of solent green, and toast the new world order...

~S~
 

fm_emt

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ex convicts who have done their time particulaly sex offenders of all types, teenage drivers so we know who they are,

We just passed a measure in California that will put a reeeally expensive GPS tracking system on sex offenders. The cost is estimated to be at least$100,000,000 a year, with the costs going up each year.

GPS tracking has already been in use, and some reoffenders were among those being tracked. They were being tracked via GPS 24/7 and still had no problems assaulting others.

Ugh! I dunno if we need Lojack for Granny just yet.
 
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