-
If practical, choose carpets
instead of hard floors.
-
Designate safe
room/s for your child to play where hard surfaces
are kept to a minimum or furniture is positioned
where it is less hazardous.
-
Buffer sharp
corners/edges of tables and benchtops with foam rubber
or specialty corner protectors available from child
and baby retailers. A good idea is to use cut up
tennis balls as corner protectors.
-
It is much safe
to sit at a table or bench than stand in front of
it.
-
When
sitting at a table or bench, rubber foam
mats are useful as place mats on working surfaces or
at meal times. (They can also be placed on the ground
whenever added protection is needed, for example
under or in front of a child's chair when he/she is
sitting.)
-
When sitting, a chair with
arms can provide added support and protection for
the child. Specialised chairs are available should
more support be required including the classic trip
trap chair which is designed to function as an ordinary kitchen chair. It is fully adjustable and
is ideal for older children prone to any kind of
drop attack. The trip trap chair pictured
on the right has been modified specifically for
children prone to drop attacks. It has foam padding to support the upper
body in the event of a seizure. Your
occupational therapist or hospital nurse should be
able to help you find or access this specialised
safety furniture in your locality.
-
Handling sharp
objects should avoided or carefully supervised.
-
Take particular
care of your child around stairs. Use stair gates as
necessary, although these can be more hazardous if
your child is old enough to clamber over them. You
may have to get creative here... perhaps your child can be encouraged
to travel down the stairs on his/her bottom!
-
Heights can
pose a potential hazard, so it may be necessary to
avoid the use of furniture such as stools, and
particular playground equipment such as swings
without harnessing, climbing equipment, etc.
-
Fire and/or radiator guards may be useful.
-
All
anti-epileptic drugs – and others – should be safely
stored out of the child's reach.
-
It may be useful to re-hang bathroom doors so that they open
outwards, then the door will not be blocked if a child falls
behind it.
-
Replace any glass doors with safety glass or solid wood.
-
Encourage
outdoor play on grass or areas with soft ground
cover. If practical, consider replacing any hard
ground surfaces of your child's outdoor play area with grass,
Astroturf, tan bark or the like.
-
Seizure
monitoring - baby monitors (video-type) are a useful device
if you need to keep a close eye on your child
without being their shadow 24 hours of the day.
-
Night-time
seizure monitoring - video monitors are useful for
monitoring night-time seizure activity. Depending on the type of seizure, bed mats are
available to alert carers of seizure activity. A more low-tech
approach is to balance a tambourine on your child when they are
asleep!
-
Consider
obtaining
medical identification jewellery.
