Microchipping Old People

Flight-LP said:
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..............
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One word: Money.

Well, three. Add 'Lack of'.
 
fm_emt said:
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.
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Well, yeah. It'll tell you where someone is, not what they're doing. You need a camera mounted to their forehead that broadcasts to a real-time monitoring setup for that.

I'm surprised a simple GPS tracker costs that much, even assuming you added a few extra 0's to that cost. ;)
 
So much of that is teaching folks what to do, getting safety assessments done by home health, hospital follow up and other agencies. Some services are out there it just getting the word out. -_-
 
The cost is estimated to be at least$100,000,000 a year, with the costs going up each year.
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security is something that just can't be outsourced....

~S~
 
The reason chips for anything are coming up as an option in the first place is people don't want to take responsibility for their actions anymore. Why keep track of your kid and be a caring parent when you can just put a chip in him/her and say, "oh, well he's over there, he's probably fine." Why care about your parents when they get old if you can put a chip in them and say, "well, they're not outside, they're probably fine." For that matter, if you want to go that route, why should you even be the one keeping track of the person who has the chip implanted in them? Surely the government would be happy to waste tax dollars it takes from you to watch those poor, helpless people for you, since you can't be concerned with things such as being responsible for those you claim to care about. After all, putting our security in the hands of total strangers in our government makes so much sense.</sarcasm>

Yeah chips could prove useful in instances where kids get kidnapped, sex offenders live in the area, etc. but so what? If you live in an area where your kid might get kidnapped, keep an eye on 'em. At an amusement park or something? Hold their hands. My parents didn't have any trouble keeping track of me and I didn't have a stupid microchip in me. Neither did thousands of other kids. As far as elderly people go, sure nursing homes cost money, but if you can't afford one, even if you don't want it to be, isn't it your responsibility to take care of them, chip or not?
 
Project Lifesaver

I don't think anyone else has posted about this yet, but - Here we have project lifesaver. It is the bracelet type and has been extremely effective. We have never to my knowledge had an incident where someone has pulled or tugged the bracelet off. Once someone calls PD/FD and indicates that thier loved one is a participant in the program, we are able to quickly and easily locate them.

You can read more about it here:

http://www.lexingtonpolice.lfucg.com/ComServ/ProjectLifesaver.asp

What you think?
 
fm_emt said:
Ugh! I dunno if we need Lojack for Granny just yet.
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How about "The Club for Grannies"? Attaches easily, can be removed for doctor visits, could be made in designer colors to match the walker, non-invasive?
 
yowzer said:
Well, yeah. It'll tell you where someone is, not what they're doing. You need a camera mounted to their forehead that broadcasts to a real-time monitoring setup for that.

I'm surprised a simple GPS tracker costs that much, even assuming you added a few extra 0's to that cost. ;)
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I wish I was adding extra 0s to the cost. But I might be *under* estimating it. :|
 
It's really easy in the throes of frustration over a call with a helpless elderly person, apparently neglected to jump all over the family with the 'what ifs'. The truth is that our population is getting older and staying independent longer. Speaking from a personal standpoint, I'm not sure I want my kids chipping me or telling me when its time for me to move to a smaller place, quit driving, get a live in caregiver etc.

Independence includes the right of the elderly to die at home alone if they wish. You can't force someone to take on a caregiver or to live with you. Very often the elderly do not see themselves as helpless and the legal ramifications for getting them declared so against their will is horrendously expensive and emotionally devastating to all involved in the process.

While as EMS providers this is extremely frustrating for us to deal with, just for a minute think.. what if it were you? How are you going to take it when the snot nosed kid you taught how to drive comes to you and tells you that you can't drive anymore. Or the uppity daughter in law that is living in a house you helped her and your son buy when they couldn't come up with a downpayment is telling you that you need to sell the home you have lived in for decades and move into a condo that won't take your dog.

Very often the family has tried to do something to make things better and has run up against a brick wall. They are often as frustrated as we are if not more so. Then they run into all the well meaning family, friends, neighbors, caregivers who assume that this is an issue of neglect.
 
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