Koperta życia is a card with the most important personal and medical information. Holders write in personal data, phone number of the next of kin, medical history, medications taken and allergies. It should be kept in a plastic envelope and a place where it is held (usually a fridge) should be labelled EMERGENCY INFORMATION CARD IS KEPT HERE.
Koperta życia was designed to help the first responders, medical services, police or fire-fighters to have instant access to all necessary information about the person they are helping, especially an elderly person living alone. This simple solution was first introduced and made popular in 1981 by Red Cross in Sacramento.
In 2017 Gazeta Wyborcza was involved again in helping seniors by attaching Koperta życia to the 10 March Gazeta Wyborcza, under DługoWIECZNI campaign. Basic information about the card, including its purpose and instructions for filling necessary data, was published in Tylko Zdrowie one of Agora’s magazines. On the same day, Gazeta Wyborcza was sold with a memostic on the front page and the blank info card in a plastic bag.
292 thousand copies of Gazeta Wyborcza with Koperta życia were sold. The issue was promoted in the media.
The partners of the project were City of Kraków and Silesian Voivodeship.