November marks National Epilepsy Awareness Month (NEAM), which is dedicated to raising awareness, dispelling myths, and promoting understanding around Epilepsy.
In social care, where person-centred care and knowledge of the correct guidance are crucial to caring for people with the condition, managers need to ensure that their staff are well-equipped with the right training. Here we’ll delve into the facts, statistics, and the importance of epilepsy training in social care, and how you can still get involved with raising epilepsy awareness.
Understanding Epilepsy - Facts and Stats:
- Epilepsy is a chronic noncommunicable disease of the brain that affects people of all ages.
- Around 65 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally.
- Epilepsy affects approximately 1 in 100 people in the UK alone.
- One in every four people newly diagnosed with epilepsy is over the age of 65. One in 67 older people have epilepsy and this number is likely to keep increasing.
- It is estimated that up to 70% of people living with epilepsy could live seizure-free if properly diagnosed and treated.
- The risk of premature death in people with epilepsy is up to three times higher than for the general population.
- Three quarters of people with epilepsy living in low-income countries do not get the treatment they need.
- In many parts of the world, people with epilepsy and their families suffer from stigma and discrimination.
Get Involved
In honour of the month, and throughout the year, you can get involved with National Epilepsy Awareness Month (NEAM) both online and through in person events. The NEAM organisation are hosting online spaces where you can submit your experiences with epilepsy, donate to their charity, and share awareness through social media platforms.
You can find out more about getting involved on NEAM’s website.
CareTutor's Caring for People with Epilepsy Course
CareTutor's (our eLearning portal) CPD-Accredited Caring for People with Epilepsy eLearning course offers a comprehensive and interactive learning experience, covering various scenarios to equip learners with theoretical and practical skills.
Staff engage in interactive scenarios covering topics like:
✅ Recognizing different seizure types,
✅ Understanding and implementing proper first aid measures during seizures,
✅ Creating adult care plans.
The course also delves into real-life situations, such as:
✅ Supporting individuals in daily activities,
✅ Addressing potential triggers,
✅ Fostering a seizure-safe environment.
Additionally, the course provides insights into the emotional and social aspects of living with epilepsy, promoting empathy and effective communication.
This eLearning course ensures that participants gain a well-rounded understanding of epilepsy management, enabling them to confidently and competently support individuals with epilepsy in diverse situations within a social care context.
This training applies to all health and social care workers that work in settings such as Care Homes, Day Centres, or supporting an individual in their own home. This also applies to hospital staff at health care assistant level, unpaid and voluntary workers.
Check out the course on our Caring for People with Epilepsy course page.
Get In Touch
CareTutor has a range of video-based Social Care eLearning Courses and Childcare eLearning courses on its platform, with easy-to-use compliance and management tools. Our courses are available as an Annual Subscription for each staff member or on a Pay-as-you-Go basis.
Talk to our team on: 020 3129 5667
Email us on: info@caretutor.org