Kit helps seniors in emergencies

Healthy living and family wellness are part of the mission at the Levine Jewish Community Center on Providence Road.

The center’s involvement in the Vial of Life initiative underscores that commitment.

Vial of Life is a free, communitywide program sponsored by LJCC and its Oasis senior enrichment group. It is offered in conjunction with the national Vial of Life Project, a division of the Bridge Building Foundation, a California-based charitable organization.

Participants receive a kit that includes guidelines for what to do in a medical emergency, a medical form to be completed, a plastic bag to hold the form, a magnet with a clip to attach the bag to the refrigerator, and a red decal to place at the front of the home where emergency responders will see it.

The decal directs emergency responders to the refrigerator door for complete medical information.

The information contained in the kit is intended to speak for you when you are unable to speak for yourself, to provide emergency personnel with details of your health history and medications.

Participants may choose to include additional items in the bag, such as copies of advance health care directives, photo identification or health insurance cards.

“The goal is to save potentially life-saving minutes during a medical emergency,” said Lorrie Klemons, 62, the senior and adult department nurse at LJCC.

A $325 grant from the Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community, through the Danny and Fay Green Endowment, helped get the program started.

The program launched in August at the annual health fair. Since then, staff members have been encouraging people to take kits for themselves and their neighbors.

“Whenever we have a program here that Oasis is involved with, we always bring them and give them out,” Klemons said.

“It’s just an incredible service to be able to provide to seniors,” said Jodie Iagnocco, 55, director of senior and adult services. Staff members distributed a number of the kits at a Medicare education seminar held in September, she said.

But the program is not just for seniors. It also is aimed at individuals with chronic or complex medical conditions, or for anyone who would like to participate, whether they are members of LJCC or not.

“You may very well know all your medical information until you’re having a heart attack, or – God forbid – unconscious,” said Klemons.

Other businesses may want to become corporate sponsors of Vial of Life locally and establish programs at their sites, Klemons said.

“We’re not professing to be the exclusive Vial of Life people in Charlotte. We want every organization to offer it,” she said.