A POST has triggered heated discussions among netizens regarding the provision of free tattoos for elderly individuals with Alzheimer’s disease as a means to prevent them from getting lost.

The debate came after Wanren Tattoo, a tattoo chain store, announced on social media platforms Xiaohongshu and Weibo on July 9 that it would offer free tattoos for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease in all three of its tattoo stores in Shenzhen and Dongguan, Nanfang Plus reported.

As per the post, the store’s tattoo artists would ink the contact information of the patient’s family members on the back of their hand, accompanied by phrases like “please contact if I get lost” or “if I am lost.”

Many netizens expressed their opposition to the practice. Some people feel that it is disrespectful to the elderly, while others are concerned about the elderly patients being exploited by scammers.

A reporter from Nanfang Plus contacted the manager of Wanren Tattoo’s main store in Dongguan, who is surnamed Zhang, for further details Tuesday.

Zhang said that he learned through a short video that elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease may throw away wristbands and clothes that contain their family member’s contact information at any time, so he thought of using his professional skills to provide assistance to the elderly.

He added that the staff all believed that this was a noble act that could be accomplished, so they make the social media post offering this service for free across all three of their tattoo stores. At present, an elderly adult has received the free tattoo service at the store.

Regarding the controversy, Zhang believed that the question of whether it is a respectful gesture should be determined by their children.

“Clothes and wristbands provided for Alzheimer’s patients may fall off or be removed by the elderly, whereas tattoos on the skin are permanent,” Zhang said, adding that the pain experienced during the tattooing process is incomparable to the distress caused when a family member goes missing.

Zhang assured that the free tattoo campaign will continue in the future. Alzheimer’s patients in need of tattoos can either schedule an appointment in advance by phone or visit the store directly accompanied by their family members, the Nanfang Plus report said.

“Everyone will get old, including myself. I hope that future generations will treat our generation well,” Zhang was quoted as saying.

(Zhang Yu, Zhang Chaoyi)