HEALTH: Epilepsy and the life-changing devices helping a Worthing woman to live independently

A SERIES of gadgets has allowed a Worthing epilepsy sufferer '“ who has up to 20 seizures a day '“ to fulfil her dream of living alone.

Theresa Howard had been told her condition was so severe she would always need a 24-hour live-in carer.

But after learning about the products offered by RedAssure, a part of Worthing Homes formerly known as Careline, Theresa was able to move into her own flat.

Life-changing

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Theresa, 34, of Milton Road, said: "It's been life-changing. I didn't want a 24-hour carer, because to me that's not independent living.

"I feel really safe at home now, so it's been totally worth it."

Theresa now wears a fall detector whenever she is at home. It automatically detects a serious fall by monitoring sudden changes in angle and impact.

If that happens, it sends a radio signal direct to a base unit, which automatically dials through to an operating centre.

Paramedics

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Care workers can then speak directly into Theresa's home to ask if she is alright, and if not they will call the paramedics for her.

She also has a bed sensor, which is placed underneath her mattress to detect if she has seizures in the night. It also sends a signal to the base unit and can alert the call centre in case Theresa is having a serious seizure.

Theresa said: "I couldn't be without them now. If I didn't have the devices, I would be stuck here with a carer and I wouldn't be able to live my life.

"I would say to anyone in my situation to find out more about what RedAssure can do because it can help significantly."

Dormant

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Theresa has had epilepsy since she was two, although it was dormant for eight years from when she was aged 10 to 18.

When the epilepsy came back, Theresa had bought a car and learnt to drive, but had to surrender her licence. She said losing that freedom was one of the toughest things, as she had hoped the condition was gone for good.

Now, Theresa has around one grand mal seizure (the most severe type where she loses consciousness), every two or three days.

Seizures

In between those, she typically has several other seizures every day, ranging from those where the only symptoms are twitching, to those where she cannot talk.

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She said: "It's most scary when I go out, as I have to rely on other people to help me. Sometimes they confuse people having a seizure for being drunk, which isn't nice, but mostly I have been lucky and someone has helped me."

Emily Sherman, from RedAssure, said her job is to make people aware of the devices available to help them. She said as well as epilepsy, the products the company offers can help people with a range of conditions, from incontinence to dementia.

Help available

She said: "We just want to get the message out there that there is help available for a whole host of things, and I would encourage people to come forward and find out more."

To find out more, contact RedAssure on 01903 703103 or email [email protected]

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