The woman was worried about her husband and her son, who both have diabetes. She feared if something happened that required emergency medical aid and she was not there, valuable time would be wasted in offering treatment. So she signed them up for the Vial of Life program.
In Vial of Life, people sign up for a service that allows them to provide medical information to firefighters, emergency medical technicians and others, even if they are not conscious to communicate it. Key medical and emergency contact information is written on a form that's stored in a distinctive bottle in the refrigerator, said Carol Avery, health educator in the Salt Lake County Health Department.
Vial of Life, which was run by Salt Lake County Aging Services, is now being offered through the health department. Its new home agency has launched a campaign to let people who used the service before know about the change, because they will need to sign up again. The information cannot be shared between the two departments.
That means that the nearly 500 people using the service need to sign up again. Hopes are the program will grow, Avery said.
The primary focus is senior citizens, but Avery said the program won't turn anyone down. Participants sign a consent form and provide basic information that will be passed on to 911 dispatch offices in Salt Lake City. For those outside the city, but in the county, the information will be kept by the Valley Emergency Communication Center. The vials, donated by Smith's Food and Drug, along with printing of the forms, is placed in a specific location in the refrigerator.
The refrigerator was selected because it's a universal location. Nearly everyone has one.
Avery keeps one copy of the basic information in the program's database, as well. The specific medical information stays with the person, in his or her home, unless it's needed.
When a dispatcher sends emergency medical help to a location or phone number that is linked to one of the forms, the dispatcher will tell the crew that a Vial of Life is in the fridge.
"It's really valuable if someone's unconscious, incoherent, forgetful or just anxious at that time," said Avery. "It can be very stressful."
The idea's not new. A service club first started it in the 1980s here, but that program had no connection at all to emergency dispatchers. Instead, a sticker was placed on the fridge.
The information is also helpful for friends of family members in case of an emergency.
The form does not, however, contain specific information on medications someone uses, such as doses, since that can change. It focuses instead on medical conditions, such as whether someone is undergoing chemotherapy or has a heart condition.
To sign up for the free program, call 313-6606.
E-MAIL: lois@desnews.com