Considerations For Living Alone When You Have Epilepsy

I find that many people take their independence for granted. Kids grow up, they move out, and they lead their own lives… That’s just that way it goes. Except when it’s not that simple, such as when you have a chronic condition like epilepsy.

With epilepsy in particular, a person’s independence hinges on how severe the condition is. For some living alone is easy, for some it’s impossible, and for some… like my daughter… it’s possible but more difficult than it is for the “average person”.

This article is aimed for the people in the middle, and will talk about some major aspects of living alone that people with epilepsy should consider ahead of time. Because being prepared for everything, will increase the likelihood of independence working out in the long run.

So here are some things to consider…

The Safety Of The Space You’re Living In

First of all, you’re going to need to consider how safe your living space is if you were to have a seizure. This is especially applicable for those that have tonic clonic seizures, as these often include falling to the ground. But it’s even a useful thing to think about if you have other types, like absence seizures.

For instance…

• You may opt for a single-floor apartment or house, that way you don’t have to worry about falling down stairs.

• You could try and find a place with more carpets than hardwood floors, or invest in plenty of rugs to pad potential falls.

• And when buying furniture, you may choose pieces without sharp corners.

How You’ll Complete Certain Tasks As Safely As Possible

Secondly, you need to create a list of all the everyday tasks that need doing around a home. Then think through how you could complete those tasks with minimal risks to your safety.

Cooking is a great example, because if you lose consciousness or suddenly jerk at any point during that process… you could seriously injure yourself. You could accidentally burn or cut yourself; or you may even lose consciousness while the stove is on and a fire could start.

But if you think these concerns could apply to you, there are some things you could do to work around those risks. Such as using the microwave as often as you can, instead of the oven. (And this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to eat “junk food”, because there are certain subscription services nowadays that will send you precooked and healthy meals that you simply need to warm up.)

Or, if you do end up cooking, you could let a loved one know that you’ve started and how long you expect it to take. Then they can continue to check in until you’re finished, and come make sure you’re ok if you stop answering.

How You Will Get Help If You Do Have A Seizure

Another thing to think about, is how you’ll get help if you do have a seizure. For some people, this isn’t necessarily a concern. If they suffer from myoclonic jerks, or small absence seizures, etc. But for people who suffer from larger seizures like tonic clonics, this is a very important thing to consider.

During the daytime, you may be able to call someone for help if you feel a seizure coming on. But not everyone has auras, and if you don’t, this may not be an option. And at nighttime, this is definitely not feasible for many.

Alternatively, there are seizure alert devices that will not only detect seizures, but will also send an alert to the phones of your loved ones. These could be extremely helpful if you’re living alone, but they can be quite the investment as well.

Additionally, having a service dog could provide some security. Particularly in regards to nocturnal seizures.

How You’ll Get To Places Outside Of The Home

And the last consideration I want to talk about in today’s article is transportation… I’ve written an entire post on how complex transportation can be for those with epilepsy, and you can check that out if you’d like more information. 

But to summarize, not everyone with epilepsy can drive. And whereas if you’re living with a person, it’s easier to tag along to locations you might need to go… if you live alone, it might be harder to catch a ride with trusted family members or friends.

Now, depending on where you live, this may not be much of an issue. If you’re in an area where public transportation is widely available, or there’s plenty of places to safely walk to and from destinations. But if you live in a rural area, you may need to think about things like…

• Is there someone that lives near where you want to move, that you could count on to drive you to necessary destinations?

• Could you carpool with friends to complete routine errands? Like getting groceries at the same time as them…

• Do you have enough funds to pay for transportation like Ubers?

• How can you minimize how often you need to leave the house? Are there grocery delivery services near you? Do you work from home? And would you get lonely or depressed if you couldn’t leave the house often?

Some Options To Give You More Independence If You Can’t Live Alone

If, after reading through this post, you’ve decided that living completely alone may not be the best option for you at this stage of your life… There are other ways that you can gain some independence.

• Such as finding a roommate who you can trust to help you in case of a seizure. This could be a friend, a partner, or even another family member who’s also looking to move out.

• Having your own space within the place you’re currently living. This isn’t possible for everyone, but if you can have your own room or even an entire area of a home dedicated to you… it can make living with a caretaker or family member a lot easier. As it will still give you that sense of independence, while you’re in a safe environment.

• Living close to someone else. Lastly, if it’s possible… you could see if there’s a house or apartment close to your family members or friends that you could move into. That way, you’re living on your own but you’ll still have people to check in on you frequently. And they’ll be within walking distance (or a short drive) if you do need help.

Conclusion

Living alone isn’t always easy for people with epilepsy, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t possible if some concessions are made. So I hope that this article has helped give you some hope for independence if you are someone who’s struggling with whether or not to live on your own.