Caregiving: what if ...? and caregiver ID jewelry?

What if … ? 

 

I know … I know … The answer is “nothing can happen” because we caregivers are both invincible and immortal.

 

I must admit I am intrigued by this offer of ‘caregiver identification jewelry’ from National Family Caregiver’s Association and American ID Bracelet …        

                      

What if … an accident or medical emergency left you unconscious, disabled, or simply without your super powers? What would happen to the person dependent on you? God forbid what if your accident was fatal?

 

Police and emergency services may follow a logical but futile chain of communication.

 

I am reminded of when Megan and I were involved in a Jet Ski accident in Ocean City, MD while Patti was at home 150 miles away.

 

Rammed from behind by another jet ski, I was initially knocked unconscious and removed from the water strapped to a rescue board.

 

Megan, in 5th grade at the time, was always a mini-adult  being raised simultaneously with caregiving for Patti. Emergency personnel complimented her mature calm and cool facilitating rescue yet enough of a kid to commandeer the shotgun seat of the ambulance to insure maximum sirens and lights. <grin>

 

In the chaos the Maryland State Police decided Megan’s other parent and my spouse needed to be notified. Unaccustomed to advice from precocious 5th Graders, Megan ‘advised’ them it would be useless, since Patti’s Multiple Sclerosis cognition would disconnect.

 

Back at home, two officers knocked on the door explaining that I had been in an accident and was in the hospital awaiting examination. Megan was ‘’unattended’.  Patti told them she was tired, going back to sleep, and hoped we were having fun. <grin>

 

Anyway, I was fine though sore beyond imagination. Pride in my daughter’s flair for crises management was great medicine.

 

In retrospect, a simple bracelet may not have been a bad “Plan B” ?  … Even if we immortals refuse to buy one, they could make a stylish gift. <grin>

 

(also available in Blogger edition, Caregiver Blog: "Caregivingly Yours")

 

Caregivingly Yours, J Patrick Leer 

musings:  www.lairofcachalot.blogspot.com

website: www.CaregivinglyYours.com

videos: http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer

Tags: caregiving, caregiver, Multiple Sclerosis, National Family Caregiver’s Association, American ID Bracelet, jet ski, Ocean City MD, Caregivingly Yours