MONITORING EPILEPSY IN ADULTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES
As carers and students, it is important to have an understanding of the service users whom you are working with. This includes understanding the seizures that the service user has, which may be of more than one type. This will help you to identify the best course of action and treatment for the service user. In addition, you need to be aware that symptoms can vary over a period of time, and you should make allowances for this.
It is very important that accurate accounts of seizure activity are recorded for monitoring purposes. This recording should identify key factors that should include the following points:
• What were the time and date of the seizure?
• What was the service user doing before the seizure?
• Was the service user awake or sleeping?
• Were there any trigger factors?
• Did you notice anything unusual about the service user before the seizure?
• Can the service user recall any unusual sensation before the seizure?
• What exactly was the first thing that happened?
• Can you describe the events?
• How long did each stage of the seizure last?
• Was there evidence of change in tone or abnormal movements?
• Did the service user lose consciousness?
• Did you notice alterations in the service user’s level of awareness?
• Did the service user become incontinent of bladder or bowel?
• Has the service user sustained any injuries due to the seizure?
• How did the seizure end?
• What was the service user like afterwards and subsequently?
• Did the service user have any after-effects?
(Adapted from Enlighten – Tackling Epilepsy 2004)
As well as recording the seizure in writing, with adults with severe learning disabilities and epilepsy, video recordings can also aid the eye witness account so that an accurate picture is presented (Stokes et al. 2004). Monitoring seizures is essential and will help the service users to manage their seizures so that they can enjoy a good quality of life.
