Love Actually... is all around us. Constantly. Whilst you are picking up flowers and chocolates for Valantine's Day, you could be forgiven for thinking that love is all about romance. In reality, love has many aspects and takes various forms - it is also made of all the actions which make a real difference to the lives of those you love.

Love also means understanding them and seeing things from their perspective, sharing their hopes and wishes. It also involves sharing their fears and doing everything we can to reduce them. Love is about wanting to keep our loved ones safe and many of us worry about others, particularly if they are vulnerable in some way.

We want to help those we love to have opportunities that will benefit them, making their lives as rich as possible. We also want to support them in facing their challenges and achieving their goals.

Our charity’s members tell us that MedicAlert gives them confidence and peace of mind, allowing them to be more active, spend more time outside and meet other people. This can mean simply walking to the shops by themselves, joining community groups or taking part in active sports. We even have members who run marathons, knowing they will be safe if anything untoward should happen. Both their membership and their MedicAlert ID jewellery really do change their lives.

Unfortunately, there are many who could benefit but are not yet MedicAlert members. There can be many reasons for this: they may not know such a service exists, they may lack the ability or resources to become members or they may simply delay it as everyday hustles get in the way.

At MedicAlert, we are privileged to see love expressed in many ways, every day. From individuals encouraging their partners to become MedicAlert members, to parents setting up membership for their child, to the grown children supporting their parents and even friends recommending our service to those they know may benefit most - keeping one another safe truly shows love and caring. We wanted to share just one example of them with you.

My Mother Has Alzheimer's

Anne has always been very active. As a PE teacher, she knows all the benefits of sports and a healthy lifestyle. She also loves being involved in many community projects aimed to help others. Her daughter, Sarah, had a great example to follow, so she is a keen cyclist and loves hiking and travelling around the world. One of her ambitious goals was visiting 30 countries before turning 30. She did it! Proud mum, Anne, has been encouraging and supporting Sarah in all her endeavours.

A few years ago, life suddenly changed. Sarah noticed how her mum was becoming more forgetful every day and instead of her usual proactive way of getting involved in different projects, she was gradually distancing herself from her friends and colleagues. She started to spend every day at home, sleeping more than usual and avoiding contact even with her daughter. Sarah grew very concerned that Anne could be depressed. She constantly encouraged her mum to go out and about, but she simply could not find any activity that Anne would be willing to join. Eventually, Anne was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

“Changing medication various times, trying different approaches and plans, spending a long time between clinics and hospitals and seeing mum struggle every single day was challenging to say at least. We did manage to turn things around, little by little, day after day. The reality is that Alzheimer’s is not just about forgetting things or not recognising people sometimes, it has been quite traumatic for us as there have been many changes to everyday life that we were not expecting. My mum’s concern of risking to wander and never find her way back home, my constant worry about her having to deal with all these challenges by herself sometimes, as I could not be there for her every moment, it has all been exhausting.

A nurse has recommended MedicAlert one day and I will be forever thankful to her! I did a little research online, I found out more about medical IDs and how this kind of service works. I chose MedicAlert, as they provide the most comprehensive service, not only the jewellery. Plus… it’s a charity and they do everything for the right reasons. Another great advantage was that I could manage my mum’s subscription, keep her medical record up-to-date and make decisions on her behalf, as her nominated advocate. I had some doubts about the things to have engraved on mum’s bracelet and a MedicAlert Registered Nurse helped me with that, also checking the medical information I had added to her account.

I know I made the right decision, as my mum started feeling much more confident to get out of the house, without worrying about becoming confused and getting lost. She even joined a book club again and goes jogging with her friend every Sunday! The peace of mind we both gained is invaluable! I know she would be safe if anything were to happen, as MedicAlert will be with her when it matters most.” 

READ MORE MEMBER STORIES

Here are some things you may be able to do to show your love and make a difference to someone’s life:

• Help someone to enrol as a MedicAlert member,
• Support a loved one by helping to manage their record, particularly if they are too young, too old, infirm or lack the resources to do it themselves. We call this person an Advocate.
• Recommend MedicAlert to your husband, wife, mother, father, friend or neighbour.

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This story is based on MedicAlert member experiences. The names and some of the details within the story have been changed for privacy reasons.