During Child-Care
Persons living with a seizure disorder are competent in performing most roles and duties. Some precautions and extra safety measures may have to be taken, but no one should be prevented from doing something they love, or from contributing as an active member of the community, just because they are living with epilepsy.
Parents and grandparents with epilepsy — newly diagnosed or not — who have children and grandchildren and want to care for them, should follow extra guidelines. Those who have auras and can recognize triggers of their seizures will have less anxiety in performing child care duties than those who have irregular, frequent seizures. However, everyone can follow these extra safety tips.
- Wash your baby on a mat in the crib, with a bowl of water outside the crib. Do not bathe the baby in an adult or baby bath if you are alone.
- Sit in a well-padded chair, or sit in bed, when feeding the baby. If a rocking chair is used, pad the arms with towels and use extra pillows to cushion the child. Or place the baby in a secure infant seat when feeding.
- Change diapers and clothing on the floor to minimize any risk of falling.
- Keep baby supplies and toys on every level of the house to decrease the need for stair climbing, especially if you have frequent seizures.
- If taking a toddler for a walk, use a wrist harness until the child is old enough to understand that s/he must stay near you if you have a seizure.
- Discretely affix a tag/sticker to the stroller with the child's name, and the name and phone number of a relative or an emergency care-giver to contact in the event of a seizure.
- It is important that something be said to your children. Facing the unknown is extremely frightening for most children. You can be counselled to explain seizures in simple, age-appropriate words. Once they are told what to expect and what their role should be, most cope quite well with other's seizures.
- Children should be taught how to get help during a parent's or grandparent's seizure. A 3-year-old can learn to dial 911 for emergency assistance.
- Encourage the family to practice "seizure drills". Then everyone will know what to do and will feel more comfortable and confident in their special role.
- Where possible, inform your neighbours of your epilepsy, outlining the type of seizures you experience and what they can do to assist you should the need arise.
- Post emergency phone numbers in a prominent location where neighbours or the children can obtain them quickly.
- Be sure that medications are safely locked away, out of a young child's reach. When the child can understand, explain why you take the medication and tell him/her about the type of seizure you usually experience.
- Teach children how to help care for younger siblings during a possible seizure.
|
