Reducing the Risk of Seizures Part 2 - What You Can Do as the Caretaker

A fashionable alternative to having a medical alert bracelet. Courtesy of Flickr.com by Lauren's Hope.

It is also important for caretakers or loved ones to take control and help their Epileptic friends and family members follow these guidelines. It is hard to stop doing some of these things, especially when you have been living this way for years, along with people around you. Here's some easy ways that you can make these lifestyle changes easier on your loved ones:

1. An important tip for parents, spouses, and roommates is to buy healthy groceries - Maintaining health is vital, but a person is less likely to be able to do this if they are doing it alone. Buy lots of fruits, vegetables, fat free skim milk, and plenty of bottled water and Gatorade. Remind your loved ones to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, 2-3 glasses of milk a day, and an occasional Gatorade to help maintain electrolytes. This will help maintain healthy kidney and liver functions along with weight control.

2. Exercise together - Just as eating healthy effects your health and weight, you have to fit in some exercise. As I mentioned before, Epileptics have less energy and motivation than others. Try to designate a group exercise time a few days a week or even each day if you can manage. This will add more motivation and you can be there to assist your loved one if they were to become sick or have a seizure. Don't do the same exercise everyday. Switch things up! Here's a great example:

Sunday: Basketball 1 hr.
Monday: Pilates 1 hr
Tuesday: 30 min. Yoga and 20 min. Kickboxing Cardio
Wednesday: Jogging 30 min.
Thursday: 45 min. Walk in the park
Friday: 1 hr Bike Ride
Saturday: Swimming 1 hr.

These are fun and easy things you can do to keep in shape... and remember to stretch!

3. Be a constant reminder - Things like monitoring TV usage or taking medication on time can be hard to remember. This is not only due to a busy schedule, but many Epileptics have significant memory loss problems. Help your loved ones remember when to take their medicine, and let them know when they have been on Facebook for over an hour. They will thank you in the long run!

4. Talk to your loved ones about drug use and alcohol use - If you think they have a drug/ alcohol problem, talking about it is the first step. Young adults and children should never be exposed to drug use, and should never, under any circumstances be users. For adults over 21, this is often harder. If you are at a party where people are drinking, try to coach your loved one into not drinking. It will be hard to convince them if you are drinking too, so try to join them and drink some fruit punch instead of beer or wine. If you and your loved one are hosting a party, buy plenty of alternative drinks. So put down that Piña Colada and order a virgin to replace it!

5. Be ready for anything - You never know when another seizure will strike. Here are some things you can do to help prepare your loved ones and others around them when they are unable to.

- Pack an emergency hospital bag. Include a medical Id, emergency contact list, 1 to 3 doses of their daily medication, a few dollars, slippers, a change of clothes, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a hairbrush, a razor, shampoo and conditioner, feminine items, and any other items that your loved one uses daily. You have no idea how much these items can come in handy at a hospital.

- Inform all of your loved one's friends, family, school teachers, and people they work with on how to care for a person having a seizure. Here is a great link that you can e-mail around to people if you don't have enough time to explain. You can also print this page out and keep it on the refrigerator in case of an emergency when you are not there. This is important and can reduce the chance of injury and prevent a death from a seizure.

- Keep all of your medical records. Make a folder with all your hospitalization dates and records. Print a page with information about your loved one stating their allergies, medications, current dosages, age, height, weight, emergency contacts, blood type, etc. This is very important when traveling and for entering new hospitals.

- If your loved one (especially children) doesn't already have a cell phone for any reason, now might be time to invest in one. Cell phone prices are getting a little crazy these days, but there are great low priced pay-as-you-go cell phones on the market. Some are as little as $30. They make good emergency phones and you wont be paying out of your back end to keep them activated. If your loved one feels that they might be on the verge of a seizure, they can simply place a call to you or dial 911 if necessary. This is one tool that can save lives.

- Invest in a Medical ID bracelet/Necklace and ID card. These items can be pricy, but if you find the right vendor you can save a fortune... and a life! There are all sorts of bracelets and necklaces these days. Some have compartments to keep a folded ID Card and emergency medications such as Ativan, (a benzodiazepene tranquilizer that helps stop seizures). There are also many fashionable choices these days for those who have some extra cash to spend. To buy these items, click on any of the links below to find ideal products at your price range.

Medical ID Cards

100% Waterproof Medical Alert Bracelets! Great for kids and athletes!

Medical ID Tags, Bracelets, and Necklaces

Medical ID Bracelets

*** My Personal Favorite***
MedIDs.com. Lots of great, quality gadgets at the lowest prices on the market.

I wish you and your loved ones great health and I hope this blog showed you a few new things that will be helpful in the future. If you have any good advice to add to this blog, please e-mail me and let me know! God bless you all.

Your Epilepsy Blogger,
Amanda Krzywonski