|
|
The home is the most common place for seizure-related accidents. Activities such as bathing and cooking place the person with seizures at risk for injury. Specific adjustments in household activities and environment may create a safer home. The individual's seizure type and frequency will dictate the adjustments needed to maintain safety.
Bathrooms, which have mirrors, sinks, shower doors, bathtubs, and hard floors, can be risky for people with uncontrolled seizures. Bathroom activities are generally private matters and balancing the need for both privacy and safety is important for people with seizures. For example, a teenage girl with complex partial seizures was determined to maintain her independence and remain safe while using the bathroom. She negotiated with her parents to use an "occupied" sign instead of locking the bathroom door and to sing while showering, to reassure her parents that she was safe. She also promised her Mom to always take showers instead of baths and to check the water temperature and shower drain for function before showering. A woman who had frequent grand mal seizures maintained her independence and safety by wearing a helmet while in the bathroom and always sitting down while showering. She only showered when someone was nearby who could assist if a seizure occurred.
A few adjustments to the bathroom environment can make it safer for people with seizures.
The kitchen, with its ovens, burners, and sharp knives is another potentially hazardous area. Adjustments in methods of food preparation, cooking, and cleanup will make the kitchen safer for people with seizures. For example, a man with occasional complex partial seizures does all his food preparation with food processors and choppers instead of knives, or he purchases precut or already prepared meals. He always uses the microwave oven for cooking instead of the stove. He wears rubber gloves for cleanup and owns only unbreakable dishes.
Creating strategies to prevent injury during seizure activity at home allows people with seizures to have both safety and a sense of independence during normal activities of living. The next column will discuss strategies for work and recreational safety.
Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, M.D.
Last Reviewed: 12/15/06
Welcome to the Wiki. This space is created for epilepsy.com members to share their own experiences and expertise to help refine and expand the discussion around important topics.
No members have yet contributed to this topic. If you are not yet an epilepsy.com member, register today to get started on this Wiki topic and the many other advantages of being a member. If you are a member and wish to be the first to edit this Wiki topic, please make sure to login, then click on the orange "Start Wiki" button at the top of this page. Or, learn more about Wikis.
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| JME and mother to a toddler | May 31, 2009 | |
| Fairy319 | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| just diagnosed today | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| heidibo | ||
| Surgery is the way to go! Slowly but surely recovering! | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| mark_88 | ||
| A Scary Doctor | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| snoodle | ||
| 12 year old with complex febrile seizures | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| lesevonnne | ||
| Simple Partials Seizures-What Are Yours Like & Duration? | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| Maria7 | ||
| Might Calcium Disorders Cause Seizures? | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| Nerak95 | ||
| Might Calcium disorders Cause Seizures? | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| Nerak95 | ||
| Topamax,Keppra causing liver damage?! | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| baubua24 | ||
| Ecstatic Seizures | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| victoria.w | ||
| Embarrassed | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| kyrissa | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,421 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 18,946 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 18,834 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 15,714 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | 15,207 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 13,076 | |
| George R | ||
| How exactly do aura's feel | 12,888 | |
| WendyBendy | ||
| MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s | 11,355 | |
| picnupthepcs | ||
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised | 10,009 | |
| spiz | ||
| electrical shock in head? | 9,420 | |
| Maggie | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Driving and Epilepsy | Apr 21, 2009 | |
| lsierens | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Heck of a day | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| 4mygirl2 | ||
| The Last Voice | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| cindy thacher | ||
| Ugg boots | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| shirts | ||
| UGG lays its charm | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| shirts | ||
| UGG lays its charm | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| shirts | ||
| 29 years old, had seizures since I was 8. | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| dkalra | ||
| Stroll for Epilepsy Awareness | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| bookworm03 | ||
| Epilepsy Advocacy | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| krjohnson | ||
| Hello Again, catching up! | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| chandagunn | ||
| PowerPoint to Youtube | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| dwightgenius | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts | 8,002 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| my partial complex seizures | 3,856 | |
| Zanna1211 | ||
| Topomax... The Dreaded......... | 3,647 | |
| Dr Jason | ||
| Brain Zaps, tics & twitches | 3,463 | |
| JudiS | ||
| side effects of phenobarb. | 3,061 | |
| pksmom | ||
| Feeling Sick | 2,890 | |
| JBJ1984 | ||
| How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens? | 2,853 | |
| epl_controller | ||
| Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds | 2,790 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES | 2,699 | |
| cmscribbles | ||
| Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures" | 2,590 | |
| teft | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Project Uplift | Nov 4, 2009 | |
| tamliniscute | ||
| SEIZURE FREE | Nov 3, 2009 | |
| gracie9933 | ||
| EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA | Oct 9, 2009 | |
| Roxanne D | ||
| Community Feedback on Proposed New epilepsy.com Feature | Sep 30, 2009 | |
| kdredske | ||
| Parent with Child with Epilepsy,Dystonia, and Autism | Sep 24, 2009 | |
| TashaCole | ||
| RX outreach Program | Sep 22, 2009 | |
| mw | ||
| Fun and Games | Sep 22, 2009 | |
| phylisfjohnson | ||
| Epilepsy and Memory Loss?? | Sep 17, 2009 | |
| lindseygthatsme | ||
| Epileptic Postictal Psychosis | Sep 14, 2009 | |
| Bravedefender | ||
| Northern California Volunteers | Sep 11, 2009 | |
| cannemo73 | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| My Mother suffers from absence seizures | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| baubua24 | ||
| My Meningioma Story | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| Maria7 | ||
| My First time | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| SteveDaw | ||
| My Epilepsy | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| amberbrady5384 | ||
| The crazy spiritual journey that is a seizure. | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| zeus1223 | ||
| 29 years old; epilepsy since I was 8. | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| dkalra | ||
| my experience with epilepsy | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| Sabia | ||
| Family with Epilepsy | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| thunley | ||
| My Story Of How I Was Diagnosed With Epilepsy. | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| bass_babyx | ||
| Lorrelei71 | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| Lorrelei71 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Roiz | 2,274 | |
| kroiz | ||
| (TLE) seizures, most misunderstood condition | 862 | |
| wenko | ||
| my story | 466 | |
| snoby | ||
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 437 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 416 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 394 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 377 | |
| javaman | ||
| Nocturnal grand mal seizures (primary generalized epilepsy) | 330 | |
| karalyeva | ||
| Life......... | 329 | |
| dizzygal | ||
| Crystal's story | 326 | |
| Crystal11 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
