Meet our Members – Faye Chambers

MedicAlert Member Faye Chambers work as a Communications Officer for the Metropolitan Police. Here she talks us through how she manages her epilepsy with the shift work involved with her job……

In my job no two days are ever the same and that’s what makes it so enjoyable, but it also means you have to be ready for anything at any time whatever the hour of the day or night. Shift work presents problems for anyone but more so for people with epilepsy, however this does not mean that someone with epilepsy can’t do shift work. It’s about getting the work life balance right and not burning the candle at both ends. Accepting that if you are working an early turn you can’t stay up till late the night before, and when you finish a night duty the best place to head is to bed so you are not tiring yourself out.

Early Turn

If I’m working an early turn I’m up at 5am with enough time to have a shower, have a cup of tea and take my drugs. I always make sure they are taken before I leave for work. I don’t have time to eat before work. My day can go one of two ways, when I turn up for work I either am assigned as a despatcher (deploying officers to incidents) or I’m working in first contact which means I spend the whole day taking calls from the public. In which case I get in read the briefing and start taking calls and this is how the whole day goes.

I start work at 7am and if I am despatcher, I have a quick hand over from night duty and check what’s on the list and will need deployment as soon as the officers’ parade for duty. In my first break of the day I always make sure I grab some food as I know this helps keep the epilepsy under control if my sugar levels are right, especially as being up at 5am makes me very tired. The day continues in much the same fashion, dealing with the incidents as they come in.

I finish an early turn at 1500 and I generally head for the gym. I’ve found that going to the gym helps the stresses of the day go away – it’s important to leave my job at work. Not only because it would drive you mad thinking of the things you deal with but because taking stress home is a trigger factor. So I have found the gym helps get rid of the stresses. I always make sure I have my MedicAlert bracelet on just in case I’m taken ill in the gym. Then I go home and have a quick snack, and spend the afternoon seeing friends and family.

Then I do the usual routine of making dinner and making sure I’ve taken my drugs by 1930 because if I leave it any later they make it difficult to sleep. I head to bed at about 2200, I may read for half an hour depending on how tired I am. Tiredness is a major trigger for me so I have to make sure I get plenty of sleep between shifts.

Late Turn

Late turns are very much like early turn just backwards. However they leave very little time to see people so I tend to use late turns to get all my housework complete. I get up take my medication and have some breakfast. I head out for a run or do some form of gym work. I then head back and shower, do what housework I can and then I will then have a sandwich before I go to work.

The shifts are either 1300 – 2300 or 1500 -2300.Just by the nature of the times this is always a busy shift and there is never a point that the day becomes easier. If I am in first contact again I spend the days taking calls. If I’m in despatch it is difficult taking over because as I said late turns are just busier.

The days are frantic and I have to make sure that in the middle of this I have a proper meal and remember to take my tablets. I must admit I do sometimes forget because of how busy it is. I have an alarm on my phone which usually reminds me, but because my phones on silent I sometimes miss this and end up taking them when I get in at 2330. I then tend to have a cup of tea and relax for half an hour before I go to bed so that I’m not laying in bed with things running through my mind causing me to be unable to sleep.

Night Duty

These by the very nature of the hours are the most difficult in terms of controlling the epilepsy just because the hours go totally what against your body is used to.

I get in from a night duty at around 0730 I make sure I have my medication and have something quick to eat. I will then sleep until about 1500, however if I am feeling very tired I will allow myself to sleep till later because as mentioned sleep deprivation is a big trigger for me. When I get up I will have lunch and then I will spend the afternoon evening doing what I want. This is the one day I won’t go to the gym because I don’t want to tire myself before night duty. I always make sure I havea hot meal before I go to work. Night duty is 2300 – 0700.

I never eat after 2300 as I find this helps with the epilepsy because the routine helps my body as it does give it a sense of routine rather than eating in the early hours of the morning. This has been something that I have learned over trial and error.

The first few hours of night duty are busy especially on a Friday and Saturday night. Then you get some down time until the clubs kick out and then you get a wave of incidents to deal with again before it slows down. This is the hardest time because this is when the sleep deprivation really kicks in but I have learned not to take a nap in my break because it just makes me groggy and more tired when I wake up. You’re fighting your body’s natural instinct being awake in the early hours of the morning.

If you are a MedicAlert member who would like to share your story of how your  emblem has helped you in the past or how you manage your condition day to day please get in touch! Email communications@medicalert.org.uk or call Roisin on 020 7923 6478.

Tags: epilepsy, lifestyle, MedicAlert, Member stories

MedicAlert and Anna Kennedy work together to protect those with Autism

The AK Autism Bands are  in stock now!

There are now more than 500,000 people in the UK with Autism; but latest research suggests that the true prevalence of children affected by Autism could be as high as 1 in 64.   Wandering is a major concern for parents of autistic children, especially as they are often drawn towards water. This is why MedicAlert and Anna Kennedy have been working together to help bring peace of mind to parents of children on the autistic spectrum.

Lisa Maynard’s son Tom designed one of the autism bands:-

The AK MedicAlert Bands provide peace of mind that should our son be separated from us or face an emergency where he can’t look after himself, medical professionals will quickly be available to provide critical medical information to take care of him.  As his brother designed the ‘Pow Band’ we have no doubt that James will delight in wearing it!

More information on the AK Autism Bands is available at www.medicalert.org.uk

Tags: Anna Kennedy, autism, Emblems, film, MedicAlert, sportsband, youtube

Meet Robyn, MedicAlert Member and work experience student!

My names Robyn Turner and I have spent the last 2 weeks doing work experience here at the MedicAlert office in Kings Cross.

Robyn wearing her emblem

I am a lifelong member of The MedicAlert Foundation as I suffer with severe allergies and have to carry around an epipen with me at all times. I have been extremely grateful for all the help and support the charity has provided me with over the years and so I decided to undergo work experience here to give a little bit back to the charity and to get a better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes.

Over these 2 weeks I have had the opportunity to help out with general paperwork in the Admin department, assist the Membership Services team with phone queries, learn how to deal with medical queries with the Medical department and assist in data inputting and managing accounts with the Membership Accounts team, all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

Before working here I had no idea about the amount of hard work that all the staff here put into keeping the charity running successfully. It has definitely given me reassurance in knowing that all attempts are made to make sure my account is kept correct and up to date and that if the information is ever required in an emergency I am confident it can be accessed quickly and easily to potentially save my life.

Office Manager Maria and Robyn

Tags: education, Emblems, MedicAlert, members

How does the MedicAlert Emergency Line work?

Dr George Sikharulidze

We’re frequently asked how exactly the emergency line works….. Dr George Sikharulidze, MedicAlert’s Head of Services explains.

‘Over the last few years, we have been involved in a major project to upgrade our Membership database. As a result of this work, we now have a highly intelligent database system that allows instant updates to member’s medical records. This helps us to improve services within the MedicAlert office, but more importantly this gives front line emergency personnel accurate information about a Member within seconds.’

The MedicAlert emergency line is managed by the London Ambulance Service at their headquarters in London and calls are accepted 24/7 from around the world. Once an emergency call is received, within seconds, up-to-date medical information can be passed to the emergency personnel dealing with a patient.’

Once a first-responder has spotted a MedicAlert Emblem, they can call the emergency number and quote the patients MedicAlert ID Number. The phoneline operators verify that they are talking to someone bona fide, and then they can relay vital information to the emergency services which quite simply saves lives .

Dr George says:-

‘The database enables medical personnel to have accurate and appropriate information available about a Member. Each week we hear of real life examples of how the MedicAlert service has provided vital information to emergency personnel treating Members. Our new database ensures that once a Members details have been updated on their file, the information is immediately live and available in an emergency.’

Each month, the MedicAlert emergency line receives calls from Paramedics, A&E staff, Police officers and other first-responders. We recently had a call from an off-duty Doctor who was attending to someone at a cinema complex.

MedicAlert’s database currently holds more than 300,000 individual records and this grows each day. The detail held includes member’s personal details such as name and address or next of kin and emergency contacts. The system also records extensive medical information on behalf of Members. This can include any medication taken, allergies or implants. The database can also store clinical attachments and medical scans as well as advance decision wishes and care plans which can be viewed by emergency and health care professionals.

To find out more about the MedicAlert service take a look at www.MedicAlert.org.uk or call us on freephone 0800 581 420.

Tags: Dr George Sikharulidze, education, emergency phoneline, MedicAlert, Medicalert team

A note from Ken Morgan, Interim Chief Executive

As Ken enters his last few weeks as Interim Chief Executive for MedicAlert, he reflects on his involvement with the charity over past number of years.

I became involved with MedicAlert UK after serving as Council Chairman of Lions Clubs International in 2001.  I served as MedicAlert Lions Liaison Officer for several years and attended Board Meetings before becoming a MedicAlert Trustee in 2004.

MedicAlert really has changed dramatically compared to when I first became involved. At that time almost all the Trustees were Members of Lions Clubs International, whereas now there are Trustees from various backgrounds each contributing their specialist knowledge/expertise.

MedicAlert itself has become more professional as it’s grown, with all employees very aware of how important a MedicAlert emblem is to our Members. We really do provide a lifesaving service to lots of individuals who have serious hidden medical conditions and staff are very passionate about the service.

A completely new membership database is now used providing a “state of the art” system for ensuring the information held on behalf of our members is both accurate and secure. Keeping up to date with the times and technology is an ongoing challenge for the charity-as you can imagine there’s had to be regular changes since it started in the 1960’s!

The range of MedicAlert jewellery emblems has also changed a lot over the years. The emblems now being produced are stylish as well as practical with new items constantly being added to provide as much choice as possible! Having our own team of in-house jewellers ensures every effort is made to provide the best possible value to our Members.

As Interim Chief Executive I have seen first hand the commitment and dedication MedicAlert staff demonstrate on a day to day basis and I never cease to be impressed with the care taken to provide what is the very best possible lifesaving service for those who need it most.

My term as Interim Chief Executive is almost over but I know MedicAlert UK will be serving it’s members well for many years to come.

Tags: history of medicalert, MedicAlert, Medicalert team

A Week in the Life of our Education and Policy Manager

Meet James Philips, Education and Policy Manager at MedicAlert

James is our Education and Policy Manager at The MedicAlert Foundation. He has been with MedicAlert for over 2 years now and his job is to make Healthcare and Emergency professionals aware of the life-saving service we provide.

Have a read if you’d like to find out more about the work we do from the perspective of someone who works for the charity. If you have any specific questions about our education work, please get in contact with James by emailing jphillips@medicalert.org.uk or leave a comment below.

Monday:

First order of the day (and in fact most every day) is checking and replying to emails mostly from hospitals and GPs. I spend most of my office-based time sending emails, so thankfully I get a fair few replies!

The most interesting emails this morning came from First Aid Trainers with London Fire Brigade, South Wales Police in Pontypridd and a few GPs in the North East. All were really keen to get resources from us, which is fantastic as Organisations like these really help us so much with spreading word of the MedicAlert service.

A quick check of my Twitter account @EducationPolicy which I update with details of where I’ll be for the rest of the week!

I look after our Bulk Orders list which comprises of  contacts from Hospitals, Surgeries, etc. Today was a busy day with over 5500 leaflets sent out to 150 doctors, consultants and nurses. Thankfully I only do this activity once a month!

The rest of my day comprises of writing articles for our quarterly e-newsletter and updating the database of GPs in the South East region.

Tuesday:

I start my day with a visit to Bedford Hospital to speak with the Respiratory Department. Hospital visits are a major part of my job and involve meticulous planning of the journey, getting samples and leaflets together, and making sure my queries are handled.

As can happen, the consultant is late, but fortunately the meeting doesn’t overrun into his clinic times! We’re extremely grateful when given the opportunity to speak with consultants, as this is often during their lunch hours, or during monthly meetings. This is all with the aim of better supporting their patients, and they are always keen to support our service. I like the variety of my work and that I’m often out of the office-nice for a change!

Wednesday:

This morning is an early start- I’m straight into MedicAlert HQ in King’s Cross to pick up some literature and sample Emblems then off to my meeting at North Hampshire Hospital with the Palliative Care Department.

The meeting goes very well, with MedicAlert’s capacity to store Advance Decisions a hot topic for discussion. (Please email me if you would like to know more about this.)

Back into the office for the afternoon, and lots of messages and emails waiting to be answered.

Thursday:

We’re all supporting Jeans for Genes Day in the office today, so there is plenty of excitable MedicAlert staff. Also as a colleague is leaving today there’s plenty of cakes and sweets, which is a constant temptation as I will be in the office all day.

 

Khalid playing Jeans for Genes Games

 

 

Yummy food provided by Maria!

 

I regularly email GPs in different regions and today’s lot is the West Midlands. The next 10 minutes after the email is sent involves updating changed addresses and plenty of replies requesting resources .

We have a Comms team catch up in the afternoon to plan future activity. For me this means starting work on a Newsletter to Police, Fire Stations and Ambulance Trusts as a reminder of how MedicAlert relies on the Emergency Services. I’ll be particularly highlighting the increase in Members with Dementia and Autism following recent partnerships with the relevant charities.

Friday:

I have a meeting at King’s College Hospital today with the Respiratory Department. As is often the case, consultants’ and nurses’ clinics overrun and it was a case of a staggered meeting. I’d speak with a couple of doctors, then another couple would come in and I’d have to repeat to them after the first two had gone, and so on.

There was a great response and stopped by paediatrics on the way out to drop in the their regular leaflet delivery.

The afternoon is spent catching up on emails, databases and mailouts and planning another week of hospital visits.

Next week so far, I’ll be updating London Ambulance service, meeting with Epilepsy Action in Southamption and visiting North Middlesex Hospital. All in a week’s work!

Thanks for reading,

James.

Celebrity ‘Design a Band’ Competition

Here at MedicAlert we have been very lucky in the past to receive incredible support from celebrities like Arlene Phillips, Carley Stenson, Kym Marsh, Lee Mead and many more!

Support from Celebrities like these helps us to raise awareness for our charity and it particularly helps when it comes to educating young people on the importance of protecting themselves. That’s why we decided to enlist celebrity support once again and we’ve asked them to design a children’s band.

Time and time again we hear from parents that their children don’t want to wear their MedicAlert bands as it marks them out from their friends as being different….For our young Members it is so important that they protect themselves as without it people may be unaware of their hidden medical conditions. We’re hoping a celebrity designed band will make protecting their health more appealing and worth standing out from the crowd for:)

Lots of the nation’s favorite celebrities have been sent a letter from MedicAlert and fingers crossed their design entries will soon be flooding in to our office. We’ve asked them to answer the simple question ‘What makes you happy?’ and to put the answer in the theme of their design.

We’re all extremely excited about this competition and we’ll be sure to keep you updated on the entries as we receive them!

Our long term supporter the lovely Arlene Phillips has agreed to be our celebrity judge so she’s the person everyone needs to impress:)

Best of luck to everyone and thank you for your support.

Many thanks,

Roisin

Here's what we asked them to decorate......

Tags: celebrity, competition, Emblems, MedicAlert, members, sportsband

Come on, come on, do the Legomotion with me……

If you’ve been on our website lately you’re sure to have seen the first in a series of educational films posted on our homepage. What makes this film slightly different is that it has been made for children and that it was made using animated Lego characters-hence the catchy title:)

Making educational films is a very new thing here at MedicAlert but luckily for us, two of our staff members decided to test their creativity and try their hand at filming…all for our worthy cause!

Adam and Ozzy are trained jewelers who work in our production department designing and producing MedicAlert emblems. Recently however the pair have been using their creativity, and the software we already have for designing and photographing jewellery, to create short films to help us educate people on how the MedicAlert service works.

The guys talk us through how they made the film:

We both loved playing with Lego as children and as it’s one of the most educational toys available we thought of it immediately when we were asked to make a film for children.….. Our main concern at the start was seeking permission as we didn’t want any problems after we’d spent all the time making the film but luckily Lego had no problems with us using their products as long as the film was educational purposes only-which it was so we were good to go!

We made the set ourselves and filmed it all in the production office over a few days….at the beginning it was difficult getting the timing right with moving all the different characters but we soon got the hang of it and quickly got into a routine with one of us filming and the other moving the Lego pieces frame by frame.

The filming process was fairly time consuming, taking an hour for each second of film but as long as it took you can’t complain about playing with Lego all day!!

Both of the guys really enjoyed filming it and needless to say they are delighted at the great response we’ve been receiving from members since we posted it last week. Plans for the future are to circulate it as an educational resource for teachers later in the year and hopefully this will increase awareness amongst children and teachers of our life saving service. This is far from the last film that Adam and Ozzy will be making with plans in place for more already.

They are also going to start filming our case studies to help spread word of MedicAlert even further. Good work guys!

And if you haven’t seen our film yet here you go……

Tags: film, lego, marketing, MedicAlert, youtube

The Allergy and Gluten Free Show

Chris Lunn, Head of Communications chatting with a member

Hey there

What a glorious weekend it was here in London…..and yet even with the incredible sunshine there still was an impressive attendance at the Allergy and Gluten Free show!

The MedicAlert team exhibit at the show every year and this was one of the best so far. What really makes it so worthwhile for us going to an event like this is the opportunity it offers us to actually meet our members and hear how our service affects their lives.

Over 20% of our MedicAlert members are affected by severe allergies so it really is a worthwhile event for us to catch up with member queries and show them what we have going on. Over the 3 days different members of our communications, membership services and medical teams took turns manning the stand and dealing with queries.

We got some great feedback on our new charm range and even more ideas about what members want to see from us in the future! We really do love getting members feedback on the emblems and the service so if you ever have a suggestion, please be sure to get in touch by emailing communications@medicalert.org.uk

The Allergy show also gives us the chance to have face-to-face discussions with some potential members and as ever we were surprised by just how broad the range of their queries can be!

We had a lot of people this year raising the issue of electronic healthcare records with us after recent concerns about the security of the NHS Summary care records. We were very happy to provide the MedicAlert response to the summary care record and explain how MedicAlert is still the tried and tested way of ensuring that an individual’s medical conditions are made known in an emergency.  We are always happy to take on members without a serious medical condition that simply want to know their information is being held securely in case of an emergency-in fact, we have number of members using it in this way already.

Overall it was a great weekend and a very successful experience for our team. We’ll be back next year!

Take care,

Roisin

Marketing & Communications Manager

Tags: Emblems, Exhibition, MedicAlert, Medicalert team

Hello!

Hi there,

Our first post….hopefully of many to come!

We have a lot of information on our website about our service and emblem range so the idea behind this blog is to introduce you to the people and the passion behind our lifesaving service.

Hopefully this blog will give you a closer look inside MedicAlert UK, introduce some of our hardworking staff, give you a better idea of the different roles here in head office and generally show you why we are all so passionate about the MedicAlert Service!

We’ll keep you up-to-date on what events we’ve been to, any new activity we have coming up and we might even ask some of our members to contribute guest posts along the way too!

You’ll be hearing from us soon!

Best wishes,

The Communications Team

Tags: MedicAlert, Medicalert team