I have an uncle who I’m not particularly close to. He lives in a different state, and I see only see him rarely. He lives alone, he is in his 70’s, and I know he has some health issues, although I have never been told what those issues are since he doesn’t like to talk about it much.
So here’s my question. Let’s say he’s walking downtown and collapses on the sidewalk. Someone calls 911 and an ambulance is summoned. He’s unconscious but breathing, so they take him to the ER. He’s had a stroke, but it still alive. He can’t talk. They do a wallet biopsy to determine who he is, and more importantly if he has insurance.
Now what happens? He has a cell phone with my phone number in it, but they can’t get into it without a password. How do they contact the relatives, which is my brother and myself. Neither of us would know that he was in the hospital. He has an advanced directive, but the hospital won’t know that. Unless someone we know happens to see something in the paper it might be weeks or months before we find out where he is.
On my phone (Kyocera DuraXV), designated ICE contacts can still be reached even if the phone is locked.
You should be able to find the manual for his phone online.
In our jurisdiction the police would take over and make various efforts to contact the family. Likely not all would apply in your uncle’s case.
Some ideas include:
[ul][li]They might try talking to neighbors who reside close to the address on any driver’s license or id in his wallet. [/li][li]A driver’s license record often shows a work phone number. Reverse search that phone number to determine where he works/worked and see if HR there has any next of kin information.[/li][li] Insurance information (car or health) from either his wallet or his driver’s license record may point to an insurance company which might have next of kin or beneficiary information.[/li][li]Speak to any known contacts mentioned in prior police reports or 9-1-1 reports.[/li][li]Check any next of kin information listed on medical records with hospital or Primary Care provider.[/li][li]Investigate any retirement accounts or life insurance information they can find documentation about in his home. Check for beneficiary information with the relevant company.[/li][li]Cross reference against any missing persons reports, locally or regionally.[/li][/ul]
Probably more options I haven’t thought of off the top of my head.
Good point about the ICE card in his wallet. I will recommend he get one and put someone’s name on it so that someone will be contacted in case of an emergency. Whether he does that or not only time will tell.
Out Samsung Galaxy phones have a user generated scrolling message on the luck screen. I’ve entered my ICE there. They also have an emergency contact mode that allows one to make calls to pre programmed numbers without unlocking the device.
This. When locked, my Galaxy screen says “ICE: Call wife <name> at <number>.”
Folks who live alone & don’t have close next of kin face a dilemma about their emergency response plans. They can either be proactive about it, or ignore it. If the OP’s uncle chooses to pretend emergency contact info isn’t important to his long term well-being, well … I predict he’ll eventually discover the hard way that he was wrong.
The OP’s moral responsibility is to diplomatically raise the issue with uncle and then drop it. Unless uncle is already only marginally mentally capable, in which case he’s got a bigger moral dilemma about how much to inject himself in with the elder protective agency in the area.
Don’t just recommend – make one up for him, and send it to him.
You know his name, address, & phone, and can enter the emergency contact info for you & your brother. The stuff about his health concerns is helpful but not required.