537 words – MR
Legends of the Call winner announced
MedicAlert Canada Foundation is proud to announce that Constable Ken St. John of Grey County OPP is the winner of the 2016 Legends of the Call Award.
This annual distinction is given to one Canadian police officer who has flawlessly deployed MedicAlert’s Look-Read-Call procedure to protect and save the life of someone in need.
St. John assisted a woman with dementia during a wandering incident. Quickly identifying her condition through her MedicAlert ID, he acted with knowledge and urgency in contacting and utilizing the 24/7 emergency hotline to ensure a quick reunion with the woman’s loved ones.
{Look-Read-Call}
In an emergency, when every second counts, MedicAlert’s Look-Read-Call procedure can mean the difference between life and death.
• [Look] for ‘MedicAlert’ on the ID to confirm it’s an authentic MedicAlert ID.
• [Read] the vital information on the back of the ID.
• [Call] the 24/7 Emergency Hotline, which is answered in an average of five seconds, to obtain detailed information on the person in need.
{Most trusted medical identification service}
For more than 50 years MedicAlert has been the most trusted medical identification service among emergency responders coast-to-coast. Behind its globally recognized emblem is an advanced response system and a network of experienced medically trained specialists second to none.
Part of its charitable mandate is to provide law enforcement professionals with the training to quickly access the critical medical and personal information that could save lives in crisis situations.
Becoming lost with no idea how to get home is one of the scariest and also most common behaviours associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The number of people with dementia is increasing and 60 per cent of them will wander from home. If they aren’t found in 24 hours, up to 50 per cent will come to harm.
For this reason and many others MedicAlert Foundation Canada and the Alzheimer Society of Canada joined forces and launched the “MedicAlert Safely Home” program in 2012 to help bring people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias safely home.
In 2011, 747,000 Canadians were living with cognitive impairment, including dementia – that’s almost 15 per cent of Canadians 65 and older. By 2031, if nothing changes in Canada, this figure is expected to increase to 1.4 million.
While dementia is not a normal part of aging, age remains the biggest risk factor, which doubles every five years after age 65, though dementia can also occur in people as young as 40.
Most people with dementias will wander at some point during the progression of the disease. When a person with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is found wearing the MedicAlert ID – even if they are unable to answer basic personal questions like where they live – MedicAlert will provide critical information and immediately notify emergency contacts.
As law enforcement plays a crucial role in safely returning people living with Alzheimer’s or dementia who have wandered, MedicAlert is excited to announce the third annual MedicAlert
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Please contact education@medicalert.ca. for more information on MedicAlert’s Emergency Responder training program.
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