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Diabetic bracelet/tag - is it worth it?

D

Deb Arkle

Well-Known Member
Messages
47
I'm toying with the idea of getting my daughter a tag bracelet, or a removeable diabetes tag which will clip to any bracelet. But is it really worth it? The tag alone is £30, and I remember when I worked in the path labs (this was 20 years ago though!) they said that the things were a waste of money, as no paramedic worth their salt would take any notice of them as they could be swapped/stolen/lost.

Is it worth the expense to get one, or are these just people cashing in on our insecurities? :?
 
I got my metal dog-tag on a chain free in the post when I contacted the website of Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation of
101-102 Northney Marina Hayling Island Hampshire Po11 0NH some time ago.
It was in an info pack and very good it was too.

I still wear the tag every time I go out.
 
Thanks Hobs - but with my daughter, she wants a pretty one & has chosen a star shaped tag....she's such a girl! She won't wear one if it's not sparkly enough. No idea who she gets that from! :lol:
 
I think it is important for children, I would imagine a doctor or paramedic would be more likely to look for medical jewellery on a child. I do however think that the prettier/more discreet they are the more likely they are to be missed.

I had a medic-alert bracelet that I wore for a few years after I was diagnosed (when I was 17) but I stopped wearing it and figure that if I was found unconscius the medics would go through my handbag and find my injection pens, glucose meter etc which I always have on me
 
Yes - I suppose as she's not carring her pens etc with her, it probs would be a good idea to have one...thanks for your input !
 
When I was on insulin I wore some dog tags that had a built in usb stick with all my medical info on it. I also had a disk on my key ring just saying 'Diabetic' and a jelly, charity type wrist band saying 'Diabetic'.

I still wear the wrist band and still have the key fob but no longer wear the dog tags as I no longer use insulin (T2).

The dog tags are the ultimate aid as they can be plugged into any computer PC or Mac and all your medical history and medication are available to any doctor, nurse or A&E anywhere in the world.

The dog tags I had were not very 'girly' but UTAG the company I bought them from also do a range of bracelets with USB sticks incorporated. I cant post a link to commercial site so if interested just Google UTAG
 
There's so many types of bracelets tags etc out there I'm sure there will be one she'd be happy wearing. Like others have said the more it looks like a decorative thing the less likely it is to be seen as a 'medical alert'. For it to be looked at for that purpose it needs to be bold and 'in your face' kind of unmissable in my opinion. Kind of like this:

But if it's more decorative she's after, then there's a lot of those about too. Like these:
 
I know which one she'd prefer! We'll probably get a sparkly one for home, and a plain band for school as it's more practical.
 
I am a Paramedic and we are taught with any unconscious person or a person acting strange for an unknown reason to look for identification and medical jewelry. The charm bracelet I might have over looked if it was on a patient but dog tags, the bright red ones, the cuter pink and blue usb ones I would have taken notice of. The only problem with the USB sticks are children are hard on them so they might not work when it counts. A set of dog tags are usually very cheap.

Please convince her to wear one if she is out of your sight.
 
Thanks Annabeth, good to know it's worth it!

I've ordered 2 of the silicone wristbands and a prettier bracelet for "best" but which also has a large tag, so should be OK.
 
I got mine from the ID Band Co. and paid about £30 for a stainless steel bracelet with the red medical symbol on it. Its good and solidand perfect for everyday, but i think i would get a prettier one to wear on evenings out. They also engrave the back with any details u want. I also got a key ring fob for a couple of pounds.But the one that i thought was the most helpful was a card (£9)for your purse/wallet. Its about the size of a credit card.On the front are personal details, nhs number and emergency contact. On the reverse you have a list of your ailments (I have quite a few) and also lists any medication you are on. I think this and the key fob was the best,cos you always have your keys when you go out and usually carry a purse
 
That sounds good, Daffy - we'll probably get her something like that when she's older, she likes the idea of a bracelet for now though!
 
We have a necklace with a tag on it with the red synbol and Lilys details engraved. It looks quite nice and she loves it. Bought it from ID Medical. She also has a wrist band which is adjustable (velcro) with all her details on a card, it is also waterproof so she can wear it when swimming etc. from ebay.
If you decide to get a necklace at anytime make surer that the chain is not too long as it gets caught easily, Lilys is a 16" one and seems OK.
Harry
 
What are the possibility that this bracelet could possibly increase the insulin contents of the diabetic patient? How true that it can help maintain the glucose flow in our blood vessels? Let us face that it was only a regular rubber bracelet?

I feel sad regarding this marketing strategy, that most of the people use to believe.
 
diabjon said:
I feel sad regarding this marketing strategy, that most of the people use to believe.
Click to expand...
The bracelets being discussed on this thread are medic alert types ones, to let the emergency services know that someone's diabetic, in case they are found collapsed etc, not bracelets intended to have a effect on health.
 
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