Epilepsy Care for your loved ones

What is Epilepsy care for the Elderly?

According to the Epilepsy Society, “There are many possible causes of epilepsy but some causes are more common in later life. As we get older the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain may become narrower and harder, which can affect the flow of blood, and therefore oxygen, to the brain.”

Therefore, if the blood vessels in the brain become damaged then this can cause seizures. One of the most likely concerns for someone living with epilepsy is ‘who will be with me as I have a seizure?’ or ‘will anyone find me?’ and sadly, amongst older people, there’s less likely to be someone in the home with them. This can lead to undue stress for both them and their loved ones, who may live some distance away.

Helping Hands can offer exceptional visiting care and live-in care to suit the needs of someone living with epilepsy, whether that’s having someone in your home around the clock, or visiting every day so that you know there’ll always be someone on their way. All of our care is fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission and Care Inspectorate Wales, so you always know you’ll be in the very best hands.

At home support from Epilepsy experts

Supporting you at home

By having a Helping Hands carer living in your home, you get the best of both worlds – independence to remain in the place you love, with the reassurance and knowledge that you’re never on your own.

What does Epilepsy care include?

Epilepsy care at home includes as much or as little as you need. Our bespoke elderly care packages will see our carers coming to you from an hour at a time, or throughout the day to suit you.

Expert epilepsy care and training

Our carers receive expert training and continuous development opportunities to ensure that they are able to support all of our customers’ needs. This includes assisting in managing their epilepsy.

Assessing your needs

Our wide network of branch care managers across England and Wales and our live-in managers in the field will ensure that your care package is set up to your exact requirements, including a full assessment of the sort of care you’re looking for.

Managing your epilepsy care

With live-in care you’ll be supported in your own home by a skilled and competent carer, confident in your needs and on hand around the clock to help you manage your epilepsy. They’ll ensure your medication is administered when you need it or remind you to do so if you’d prefer to take it yourself. They’ll also help you to keep your house tidy and free from clutter so that if you do have a seizure, you’re less likely to injure yourself when it happens.

Our visiting carers will also be instrumental in helping you to live well with your epilepsy, supporting you to eat a varied and nutritional diet and to manage your home as you always have. In addition, our carers can all be a valuable emotional support to you and your loved ones, especially if they’re struggling to come to terms with your epilepsy.

The Epilepsy Society states that some family members may inadvertently become overprotective of a loved one who develops the condition in later life, and even though they mean well, you shouldn’t be restricted, and instead be supported to make your own decisions. “If your family and friends understand how your epilepsy affects your life, they may more easily support you in making decisions.” Your visiting or live-in carer can be part of the process to help your loved ones come to terms with the implications of your epilepsy, as well as supporting you.

At-home support as a whole

Helping Hands have specialised in high quality home care since we were established in 1989, and just because more than 30 years have passed it doesn’t mean we have lost sight of the values and standards we began with. We focus on providing an exceptional service to our customers, keeping them as independent as possible for as long as possible, therefore preventing them from having to move into a residential care environment if they don’t want to. We focus on every aspect of a person’s daily routine, following their agreed support plan while remaining flexible to ever-changing needs. This could include meal preparation, housework, mobility support, managing medication, and personal care. We also ensure our customers are supported to access the local community if they want it.

Epilepsy care FAQs

What are the epilepsy needs for seniors?: Everyone reacts differently to an epilepsy diagnosis later in life. You may go through a range of emotions such as shock, anger, disbelief, or you may feel nothing at all. You may feel relief as you now have some answers, and you may be determined that it will have the minimum impact on your life. It’s important that you don’t become fearful about doing the things you always used to, because of fears about having seizures. Isolating yourself could have a negative impact on your emotional well-being and lead to the risk of becoming depressed.

Loved ones may be encouraging you to stay at home where you’re “safe” in their eyes yet may not realise the effect this can have on a formerly sociable person. That vital emotional support can come from having a carer in your home with you, meaning you still retain the confidence to do the things you’ve always enjoyed outside your home, as well as helping with the practical tasks inside.
How do I get care for epilepsy?: Receiving support from Helping Hands is as easy as 1,2,3!

1) Contact our friendly and knowledgeable customer care team seven days a week who will be happy to answer all your questions and arrange for your local manager to meet with you. You can also chat to your nearest branch if you prefer; their details are here.

2) Your local Helping Hands care manager will come to your or a loved one’s home or meet you in the place you’re most comfortable. They’ll then guide you through the entire care assessment process and produce a bespoke quote for you.

3) You agree to the care package we’ve designed for you and your care begins!
What is included with home epilepsy care?: Because we don’t have franchises at Helping Hands – all of our 150 branches are managed and owned by us – we can guarantee a consistency of care that our competitors just can’t do. We source all of our carers ourselves, recruiting, employing and training them ourselves inhouse, which means you get compassionate, skilled, and motivated carers who love working for us. They have a passion for helping our customers to remain as independent as possible and go above and beyond to ensure that happens. From housework to personal care, they’ll do what’s necessary to ensure you live as well as possible with your epilepsy.