4 Ways to Effectively Support Someone With Epilepsy
10th February 2022
Whether you’re a carer, partner, friend, teacher, employer, coworker or anyone else who has a person with epilepsy in their life, knowing how to support them is crucial. To support someone does not necessarily mean that you are their sole source of care, it may simply mean that you spend regular time with them and want to know how you can be supportive during that time.
#1 – Learn About Epilepsy
The first step towards being able to support someone with epilepsy would be to try and understand epilepsy. Epilepsy is so varied and can be complex, having someone to talk to who understands can be very helpful for a person with epilepsy. Not only that, but it can help you to recognise triggers, seizure activity and know the best practice of how best to care for someone with epilepsy.
There is a wealth of information available online to help you learn about epilepsy, including our own blog.
#2 – Learn Seizure First Aid
Seizure first aid is without a doubt one of the most important skills you could possess when seeking to support a person with epilepsy. It can literally save lives or prevent a person from coming to any harm during a seizure. Knowing what to do and how to administer first aid in the event of a seizure can allow a person with epilepsy to feel more confident that they are safe in your company and allow them to feel more supported.
Our epilepsy awareness course is the perfect way to expand your knowledge of epilepsy and gain the practical skills necessary to provide emergency first aid if a person has a seizure whilst you’re nearby.
#3 – Learn How to Help With Treatments
There are many treatment options for epilepsy, including a variety of anti-seizure medications (AEDs), a specialised ketogenic diet, surgery and more. In order to effectively support a person with epilepsy, learning what their treatment course is and identifying ways you can help can be really useful.
Also, there are rescue medications, such as Buccal Midazolam and Rectal Diazepam which can be used to manage seizures in emergency situations. Knowing how to administer these medications can again be life saving for a person with epilepsy. However, before attempting to administer either of these medications, it’s imperative that you’re first trained to do so by a qualified practitioner or trainer.
Our epilepsy awareness course can also include how to administer Buccal Midazolam or Rectal Diazepam safely.
#4 – Listen and Be There For Them
Epilepsy can affect people in more ways than seizures. It can have a profound effect on the person’s life, their self esteem and confidence and there’s a strong correlation with epilepsy and depression. Although you may not be equipped to handle mental health challenges by yourself, being there for someone as a person who will listen to them and try to understand can go a long way.
Mental health should always be a part of a person’s overall care plan, ensuring that they have an outlet and feeling safe to speak about their problems can be as important as knowing how to administer first aid.
National Epilepsy Training work alongside neuropsychiatrists and neuropsychologists who are of huge benefit to people with epilepsy who are struggling with their mental health. Fill in the form below to discuss how we can help.
