Parents – Looking for a Solution to Quickly Reunite with Lost or Wandering Children?

I’ve been talking recently about emergency QR codes and digital identity QR codes, both of which for me have personal meaning.

I personally suffer from a heart rhythm related medical condition called supraventricular tachycardia which can cause me to experience a considerably raised heart rate (sometimes up to 190 beats per minute, double what it should be resting), as well as other symptoms such as shortness of breath.

To help anyone who happens to be around me at the time of an episode and who doesn’t know what’s going on, I offer them a medical condition QR code that I’ve got stuck on my phone. That way, they can simply scan the code and instantly see what they need to do. They can also feel reassured that I’m aware of what’s going on, and that they needn’t phone an ambulance unless I indicate otherwise.

The idea for the QR code came from an experience I had with my grandad. He suffered from Alzheimer’s, and on one occasion he went missing for almost a day without trace. We are grateful that he was eventually found alive and mostly well, but it never left me that if he’d had some form of obvious ID on him then he may have been returned to us a lot faster.

That’s what prompted me to design the Ban.gl identity bracelet, which later evolved into the digital identity QR code.

Now Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers can keep these codes about their person so that if they go missing (and according to research, 70% of people with dementia may go missing at least once), allowing anyone who finds them to simply scan the code with their phone to instantly bring up next of kin contact information, and any useful details about medical conditions.

“70,000 children are reported missing every year in the UK”

But it’s not only dementia sufferers who go missing. According to charity Missing People, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds in the UK, which translates as 170,000 people reported missing every year. And around 70,000 of these are children.

Looked after children are at a higher risk of being reported missing, at one in ten compared to one in 200. 80% of missing children are found within 24 hours, and 90% within two days. But can you imagine, as a parent, your child missing for anything up to 24 hours, let alone two days?

There are of course many reasons why children go missing. But sometimes, it can be something as simple as accidental wandering, which can be particularly prevalent in children with autism.

Say you’re spending the day at a shopping village, paying a visit to a theme park or you’re in a vast busy place, such as a major train station or airport. You turn around and they’re gone. Panic sets in. You look everywhere, but they’re nowhere to be seen.

The good thing about human nature, however, is that we have a tendency to spot when someone is in distress, and have an affinity to want to help. So, chances are, some kind soul will spot your lost child, and will attempt to help them. But what if your child isn’t exactly forthcoming with the information that will help reunite you?

And this is where our digital identity QR code comes into its own again. If your child has one of these simple stickers or cards about their person, all the kind soul who’s found them has to do is scan the code with their smartphone, and they’ll instantly come up with your mobile number which they can auto-call to make contact.

You can also include other information on the QR code too, such as any medical conditions or disabilities. So, if your child is met by a first responder, they’ll have a heads-up on any special treatment or attention they need to provide.

Even better, if you’re on holiday abroad, when scanned, the digital identity QR code will relay the necessary information in the native language of whoever has scanned it thanks to QR codes being multilingual.

Interested to learn more about safeguarding your child with a digital identity QR code?

Ban.gl digital identity QR codes offer a simple way to reunite with a missing or lost child.

Here’s how it works with Ban.gl digital identity QR codes. Interested to find out more about this child-friendly innovation? Contact us. We are parents too, and we totally get how important peace of mind is.