My AD husband just lost his wallet. He did not have any credit cards, but his military id and drivers license was in the wallet with about $50.. I have done all the things for such an event that are necessary contacting agencies with whom we are involved.
While he doesn't drive, the doctor says that he is still able to, so I got his drivers license renewed. I have Macular Degeneration and have to be driven to and from the treatments. My husband will not tolerate a taxi and most friends and family are not available. He is very high functioning in most ways.
My problems is: what do I do for him to have a form of ID on him. I am keeping the new documents in my bag. We are always together except his trips to the library. He likes to walk to the library and I would like for him to have something on him other than something I write down. We live in FL and they told me that if he got an ID card then, he couldn't have a DL. He doesn't get lost, etc.
He won't wear any jewelry. I know that there are lots of solutions out there. I have just been busy focusing on keeping us out of trouble.
We are fortunate that we can go to the driver's license place and they will issue a replacement immediately. I would suggest that when you get the new DL and Military ID that he carry COPIES of them while YOU carry the originals...would he allow that? If he was military, why would he object to wearing a dog tag? That is what my husband wears....on one side it has a medical symbol and says "I have Alzheimer's" - "See back." and on the back it says "please contact my wife........" with my address and cell phone number. He wears this even when in Hospice Hospital! We take it off of him at bedtime at home and put it back on when he gets up.
I have made paper copies and have laminated them - but wasn't sure if this was ok. I am looking at the bracelets and necklaces on the AZ site and thought I would get them and perhaps he might decide to wear them. Also, I am putting a velcro pocket with his ID on his shoes - the ones that runners wear. Once they are on, they don't get in the way of tying his shoes. Thanks for your suggestion. I will tell them that is what military men wear.
Dagma3, what I did was make copies for Lynn that were laminated. That way he didn't think they weren't the originals. It worked well for us. Lynn was military but he wouldn't wear the dog tag either. He would now, but back when he needed it he could still read and there was no way he was wearing anything that said he had Alzheimer's! He ripped off everything I tried. He did carry the card, but I think only because he didn't understand it. *sigh
I took DH to the VA clinic locally and they took a picture ID of him. He still has his DL, doesn't drive and it will expire shortly but he still has the VA picture ID.
dagma3- your DMV where you get the drivers license also issues ID's. They look just like a drivers license but they aren't a drivers license. They work just fine for getting through airport security and our DMV was willing to issue multiple laminated copies for my DW so I didn't have just one. Thenneck
I asked about getting a id card when I got his drivers license replaced and they told me that he could have one or the other, but not both. I thought that would be a good solution, too. So we went with the DL. Nikki - I got a chuckle acouth your husband - my husband is very STUBBORN and it takes a long time to work up to getting him to do something, if he decides to do it - and he also doesn't have AD :-)
Another option is if they give a temporary drivers license when he gets a replacement he can carry the temporary one in his wallet. If he has to drive and you have the perm. one, if he should get pulled over you can explain why you have it (something like he looses his wallet all the time, not AD). I like the other option to make a color copy of it on index paper. The index paper will be stiffer, more like a card, laminate if necessary. Maybe the VA can give you two ID cards.
For his military retired ID you need his DD214 and need to contact the nearest military facility to issue a new one. He will have to have his photo taken. The DD 214 will show his retirement date and other details. Depending upon where you are and when he got his last one, they may already have is information on file.
You don't need to pay for laminating it. You can buy clear contact paper and do it yourself. I think if you look in the office supplies even at Walmart you can find precut pieces to laminate yourself.
Claude had open heart surgery in 1991. I got him a Medic Alert® dog tag at that time which had all his health information on it. I later updated it with his other health issues including AZ.
About a year before he passed away, he started taking the dog tag off so I replaced it with the Medic Alert® bracelet with the same info. I put it on his right wrist (he was right-handed) and he couldn't get it off. When he would ask what it was and try to get it off, I just said it was an ID bracelet and that satisfied him.