West Australians urged to take seizure safety seriously
More than 300 Australians die each year from epilepsy-related causes. Over half of these deaths are due to Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). SUDEP is where a person living with epilepsy dies without warning and the post-mortem fails to establish another cause of death.
October is Seizure Safety Month and 16 October is SUDEP Action Day. Epilepsy WA urges the WA community to honour West Australians lost to epilepsy by taking seizure risk reduction seriously.
Epilepsy WA CEO Emma Buitendag says it’s vital to speak openly about epilepsy and SUDEP and to empower the WA community with the knowledge that can help save lives.
“1 in 25 people will be diagnosed with epilepsy, and the number who lose their lives to this chronic condition is totally unacceptable,” she says. “Seizure safety and risk reduction is of upmost importance.”
Everyone needs to know seizure first aid, and for people with epilepsy, taking medications as prescribed, avoiding known seizure triggers and getting adequate sleep are all crucial to reduce risk.
Epilepsy WA offers training to schools, childcare centres, disability agencies and aged care providers, to enable staff to be able to respond in a seizure emergency and to help keep people living with epilepsy safe.
Epilepsy WA also supports many families who have lost loved ones from SUDEP and offers monthly epilepsy support groups in multiple Perth Locations, in Bunbury and online statewide for anyone impacted by epilepsy.
The Perth Railway station on Wellington Street will shine purple on the evening of SUDEP Action Day, to help raise awareness of epilepsy and to remember those West Australians who have been lost to the chronic condition.
