Epilepsy Care

EPILEPSY CARE

  • At Green Pastures Care, we understand that there is a link between epilepsy and learning disabilities. People with a learning disability are not one group. There will be major differences between the experiences of people with mild, moderate and severe learning disabilities.
  • Research shows that out of every 100 people with a learning disability, around 22 also have epilepsy. This means epilepsy affects about one in five people with a learning disability.
  • The more severe the learning disability the higher the possibility that the person will also have epilepsy.
  • Our dedicated team are trained to care and support adults with learning disability and administer prescribed medication. We offer 24 hour care or live-in care depending on each service user’s needs and preference. 

WHAT IS EPILEPSY?

  • Electrical activity is happening in our brain all the time.
  • A seizure happens when there is a sudden burst of intense electrical activity in the brain.
  • This is often referred to as epileptic activity.
  • The epileptic activity causes a temporary disruption to the way the brain normally works, so the brain’s messages become mixed up.
  • The brain is responsible for all the functions of the body.
  • What happens during a seizure will depend on where in the brain the epileptic activity begins, and how widely and quickly it spreads.
  • Having epilepsy means that you have a tendency to have epileptic seizures.
  • For people with a learning disability, the cause of their learning disability can also be the cause of their epilepsy, as research is showing that certain genetic causes, such as in Rett syndrome or Angelman syndrome, are linked with particular patterns of epilepsy. 
  • For many people with learning disability epilepsy is a life-long condition.

OUTCOMES OF EPILEPSY CARE

  • Respecting choices, being cared for in your own familiar surroundings.
  • Physical, Emotional and Safety benefits to the service user.
  • Upon receipt of your referral, we can organise an assessment visit by one of our care coordinators so that we can formulate a care support plan and tailor your package of care according to your needs and individual choices. 
  • After your care support plan is formulated we will endevour to start the care package as soon as possible and will match your needs with the skills of our highly trained support workers
  • Our support workers are trained in epilepsy care and will support you with personal care, washing and dressing, oral care, continence care, pressure area management, nutritional support, prompting and administering of medication, emotional needs and community activities.
  • Our care delivery encompasses the holistic needs of the client including physical, psychological, social care, spiritual and cultural needs in meeting the needs of the service user. 
  • Our team will also work with the MDT team such as GP, Epilepsy Specialist Nurses, Neurologists and community nursing teams to ensure the epilepsy condition is controlled effectively as it is everyone’s right to be comfortable and have dignity in long-term conditions.
  • Our team will provide 12 hour day sits and 12 hour night sits. Some families and service users may feel safer with a live-in carer and we are there to support you according to your preferences – from a few hours, long hours, long days, night sits even live-in care. We ensure that your loved one is safe and not alone as epilepsy is an unpredictable condition. With live-in care, we recommemend the service user to get the 2 bedroomed flat to ensure that there is a spare bedroom which the carer can use. 

Make an enquiry about our Epilepsy Care HERE

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