Peace of Mind for Elderly Relatives
Many of us will be on some medication in our lives. Some of us more than others, but what about our parents and older relatives? How do we help them to stay safe when we may not know what medication they are on or if there has been a change in their prescription?
One World Medical Card member wrote to us to tell us what happened with their mother, which we felt worth sharing. Here’s the story.
“Thank you for your letter concerning the treatment of your mother in our Emergency Department (ED) after she fainted. It took longer than anticipated to treat her, as we had trouble obtaining sufficient medical information due to her lack of communication. If we knew that there was a change in her medication most recently that explained her syncope and fall, the whole process could have been much faster.”
Some of our nearest and dearest may have trouble communicating and may not be capable of giving sufficient and reliable information about basic facts of their medical history. Whether it’s medicine or allergy-related, in case of an emergency and unconsciousness, they may not know the details or even their GP. A recent study of 104 patients over 75 years of age showed that one in four cases had no complete basic medical history (allergies, medication, preexisting illnesses or name of GP) that could be obtained in the emergency setting.
Only 16 patients were able to provide all necessary information on their own. Contacting relatives or GPs prolonged the time until complete medical history was present to around 26 minutes (relatives) and 56 minutes (GP).
For peace of mind, for your relatives and yourself, the World Medical Card could be a solution. The medical ID card (and app for those who wish to use it) holds the member’s vital information. They can upload their medical information so that medical professionals and first responders can use it to provide you with fast and accurate treatment in case of an emergency anywhere in the world.
World Medical Card is developed using the World Health Organization’s global standards codes (ICD-11 and ATC) and ensures that health professionals and pharmaceutical personnel globally understand your condition and requirements. We recommend that members carry it with them at all times. The member’s digital health profile can also be shared with relatives so that they can be contacted in case of an emergency and kept up to date with the latest developments.
It’s very easy to sign up your loved ones for the World Medical Card
It takes minutes to sign up for the World Medical Card. Members then populate their profile with medicines and prescriptions, surgeries and implants, vaccines, allergies, donor status, X-rays or hospital records, photos of non-prescription medications, diagnoses, emergency contacts and insurance details.
When you sign up for your relatives, we will send them their unique World Medical Card, which will contain all their medical information sealed inside.
In an emergency where power or the internet is unavailable, a medical professional can obtain the card and access their medical history to ensure speedy and accurate treatment.
Their medical alert card has a unique password for emergency access to their profile to avoid misunderstandings about their health and achieve fast and correct medical treatment.
We recommend that members always keep the World Medical Card in their possession.
