What Is a Vial of Life?

Think of the Vial of Life as the longer version of a medical ID bracelet. Filling out a Vial of Life form is an important part of medical emergency preparedness. It’s not just for older adults—anyone who spends time alone should fill one out.

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Hopefully it won’t need to be used. But in the event that you pass out or are too disoriented to speak to emergency medical personnel, the Vial of Life form gives them critical information so they can make better-informed decisions to care for you.

The Vial of Life form includes the following sections:

• Your contact information, including date of birth, Social Security number, and primary language
• Health insurance information, including the company name and your policy or Medicare number
• The names and numbers of emergency contacts
• Your doctor’s name and phone number
• A section about power of attorney for your health care
• A section asking if you have a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) or Physicians Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) on file
• An area for listing current medications/supplements and dosages
• Sections for allergies and medical conditions
• A catchall area on the back for other important medical information, such as any implanted medical devices or preferred hospitals

If you live with other people and there’s more than one Vial of Life on the fridge, tuck a recent photo of each person in front of the paperwork. It’ll help paramedics grab the right one.

Consider adding copies of this paperwork:

• Power of attorney
• DNR/POLST
• Recent EKG
• Living will

You can download and print a free Vial of Life kit online, but you’ll have to come up with your own system for storing the documents on your fridge. You can also spend between $8 and $30 to get the forms plus magnetic storage envelopes.

Keep the Vial of Life on your fridge, since this is where most first responders know to look for it. It’s also smart to keep an extra copy in your glove box, purse, or wallet.

Vial of Life kits may also come with a decal or sticker. Place it in a window on your front door or in a front-facing window so that EMS personnel know you have one.

Most emergency responders are trained to look for a Vial of Life on the refrigerator even if there’s no decal on the front door, but it doesn’t hurt to display it.

Vial of Life is sometimes written as Vial of L.I.F.E., where “life” stands for “Lifesaving Information for Emergencies.” Originally the forms were tucked into a plastic container like an old pill bottle, hence the name “vial.” An alternative name is File of Life, reflecting the current trend of keeping this form in a folder.

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