I had a life changing moment on Sunday.

[Des]

We were shopping in our local mall for a few bits and bobs when as we walked into the "Game" (a general department store) a 'not so old" man just dropped down near the entrance of the store , right in front of us.

My nurse training from many years ago kicked in and I took his pulse and breathing and NOTHING. It seems that he had a massive heart attack. Myself and a worker from the shop resusitated him while my daughter phoned the emergency services. We checked his wallet for emergency contact details and NOTHING he has no contact details of any kind in his wallet whatsoever. 

The emergency services came but they failed to revive him and this poor man died alone on the floor of the department store. My daughter and myself cried. It makes you realise how fragile life really is.
I checked my purse this morning and I don't have any emercency contact details either..

Please people put some contact details in your purse. I just did.

[Jean]

Oh, that is so sad. I hope they are able to find his family, if he has one. People should not be allowed to die between Thanksgivng and New Years.

[tubes]

That is very sad. I hope they find his family or friends. I'm very sorry you and your daughter had to witness that.

I read in an email or news article, I forget, about something called ICE. It stands for - In Case of Emergency. Any who, the article was talking about emergency workers will go throu your cell phone if you are unable to communicate. They go through your contacts. So what they want you to do is put I C E in front of family memebers names so they know that is someone they can contact for you.
For instance, the I's in my contact list look like this :

I C E - moms name
I C E - dads name
I C E - sisters name

Now that I think about it. I think I'm going to add my bestfriends names to the list. Also, put something in my wallet for extra security..

[YLGuy]

Des, I am sorry,  In the front of my wallet is a card with my ailments, meds, doctor and emergency contact. 

[willowtreewren]

What a harrowing experience, Des. This must have been awful!

My cell phone has contacts listed a ICE1, ICE2, etc.

That way emergency service personnel can contact them directly through my cell phone. I also carry contact info in my purse.

I hope everyone will do this.

Aleta

[dwcrawford]

This makes me super sad -- not only the man dying alone but the no emergency numbers.  I'd intended to use the rest of my time on  IHD trying to bring up the level of conversation to more positive observations but now I have thought about ICE I realize I have NO one to list as a contact.  I'm getting scared.  I think it couldn't be your doctor because he/she wouldn't really care if you were dead.  Well, maybe so they could schedule someone else at your next time slot  (you know I am dead serious but I can't go long without a wiseass comment).  Lawyer or funeral director?  I'll think more on it. 

Des, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. 

[dwcrawford]

OMG, I just logged to read the morning paper and this was on the first page:

Man dies, is buried before family notified


 WWII vet was at VA hospital, but nephew was told he wasn’t


By MIKE TOLSON

HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Ray Emmons had a good life, surviving a serious war wound and the nightmare of a German prisoner of war camp. The former movie projectionist never married or had children, but he made friends easily and was liked by most who knew him. But his recent death at age 84 was another matter. With no family members present, Emmons passed away alone on Nov. 20 following a series of heart attacks.

His nephew John Emmons, who was close to him for many years and kept in close contact with him as his health declined, never even knew he was in the hospital.

On Sunday, more than a week after John reported his uncle missing, he learned that his uncle had died at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and was already buried.

“It’s really a mess, to say the least,” Emmons said. “Whatever the breakdown was, it needs to be fixed.”

Ray Emmons lived in an apartment at a retirement complex in Bellaire. Friends last saw him on Nov. 15. That was the day he checked into the hospital, where he regularly received medical treatment.

John Emmons, an insur-

Please see EMMONS, Page A6




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


EMMONS


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See EMMONS on Page A06


EMMONS: Car found in VA hospital lot

CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1

ance appraiser who lives near Chappell Hill in Washington County, said he usually called his uncle weekly and would have lunch with him about once a month. Toward the end of November, he got busier than normal and did not make his regular call. Later, he couldn't reach him.

Concerned that something had happened, he came to Houston on Dec. 5 and went to the apartment. No one answered. Once inside, he saw his uncle's calendar. His uncle liked to cross out every day as it passed, but no day had been marked for almost three weeks.

Emmons said he went immediately to the VA hospital, where several people told him his uncle was not there and had not been there. He then reported him missing. The police flier went to all the local hospitals, but it got no response, Emmons said.

A one-time acquaintance of his uncle saw a TV report about Emmons on KTRK. Judy Locke, who had met Ray when her mother lived at the complex, decided to help.

Her daughter located Ray's car in the VA hospital parking lot. Hospital personnel eventually confirmed that he had been admitted, died and been sent out for burial, which took place with military honors at the Houston National Cemetery on Friday.

The hospital "attempted to contact the next of kin listed in the patient's medical records," a hospital spokesman said Monday. "Unfortunately, the number was disconnected. The staff researched all of the patient's health care notes in an attempt to find a working number. Sadly, this was also unsuccessful."

Emmons said his uncle had not updated his emergency contact, which was a brother, Hugh, who died in 2008. But Emmons spoke to a doctor who said that his uncle had asked that he be called, but could not remember the number. As it turns out, both Emmons' home and cell phone numbers were in his uncle's wallet. They were written on a card in plain view as soon as the wallet is opened, he said.

"He had told her that I should be called," Emmons said. "Somebody should have looked in his wallet before they sent him off to be buried."

Or even before he died, Emmons said. The military send-off was not what his uncle had planned, but that bothered Emmons less than the thought of his uncle suffering by himself.

"What's really sad is that Ray thought the world of the VA hospital," Emmons said. "He trusted them and their treatment. At the end, they let him down."

mike.tolson@chron.com

[tyefly]

   Des....     sorry that you had to go thru that.... I cant imagine....  That poor man....   I think you are write  life is so fragile....    I check my wallet and    your write   I dont have a thing..... nothing....   I am going to fix that....today....          Thx    and take care

[peleroja]

Good thinking.  I don't have an emergency details card either. 

[paris]

Des, I am sorry for the experience you and your daughter had.  But I am glad you were there. This man didn't die alone, he died with you by his side.  He died with other humans touching him and caring for him.  I hope they find a friend or relative for him.  Very sad story.  You and your daughter were heros that day.     I rechecked my emergency contact info --- it is in my phone and wallet.  Thanks for caring about this man and about us.  You have an incredible heart.   

[Des]

Thanks so much... I just can't get the image out of my head of that poor man lying on the floor........

Dan, Your social worker and neighbours ( the one's you had dinner with) can be your emergency contacts.  NO doctors!  I care about you Dan, I just wish I was closer. 

[glitter]

When my husband had the loader fall on him in 06 he had ICE on his phone- In Case of Emergency and later

 after his copter ride, we were talking to the paramedics who had stuck around the hospital. They didn't know

the In Case of Emergency- when I said ICE- they said ' Immigration and Customs Enforcement?'

Sorry you had such a scary day. You were very brave.

[cariad]

Wow, that's traumatizing, Des. I'm so sorry.

It may not feel like it, but that was really heroic of you to jump to his aid like that. I'm sure he knew at the end that someone cared enough to try to help.

 

[Chris]

That is very sad. I hope they find his family or friends. I'm very sorry you and your daughter had to witness that.

I read in an email or news article, I forget, about something called ICE. It stands for - In Case of Emergency. Any who, the article was talking about emergency workers will go throu your cell phone if you are unable to communicate. They go through your contacts. So what they want you to do is put I C E in front of family memebers names so they know that is someone they can contact for you.
For instance, the I's in my contact list look like this :

I C E - moms name
I C E - dads name
I C E - sisters name

Now that I think about it. I think I'm going to add my bestfriends names to the list. Also, put something in my wallet for extra security..

What a bad experience to have happened but also an eye opener.

Like tubes and Aleta, I have ICE on my phone. On my old phone, a Nokia, it grouped all your ICE contacts into one listing so when you did a contact search, you just go to ICE and it list everybody in one place. My current phone, a Sony Ericsson, you have to list each ICE contact one by one

[jennyc]

My Brother died alone I can't imagine a worse way to go, i guess when it comes down to it, as Paris said, You were there for that man, he didn't actually die alone.

[fc2821]

Des,
   Sorry you and your dauther had to wintess that, but it was a good thing you were there for tht fellow. Others are right, he was not alone, you were there for him. 
   My cell phone has a section listed especially for emrgency contact numbers, when you look at the list of contacts it pops up first. 

[Chris]

   My cell phone has a section listed especially for emrgency contact numbers, when you look at the list of contacts it pops up first.

Sorry to get off the sublect somewhat, but what cell phone/ company does that?
Maybe this should be a new thread for people to look on their cell phones who do not know about the feature?

[willowtreewren]

I re-did the emergency contact list in my wallet today. Now when you open my wallet the red letters "Emergency Info" stick up from one of the credit card slots in plain view.

I would not have done that without this thread. Chris, you are right about the thread, but I'm off to bed tonight.

[Chris]

I looked at my wallet and I forgot Medic Alert puts that on their medical card. Also noticed I need to update meds on their system to have new cards sent out.

[fc2821]

   My cell phone has a section listed especially for emrgency contact numbers, when you look at the list of contacts it pops up first.

Sorry to get off the sublect somewhat, but what cell phone/ company does that?
Maybe this should be a new thread for people to look on their cell phones who do not know about the feature?

I have Verizon as a czrrier, it is a Samsung phone.