Jazz Pharmaceuticals has provided a hands-off unrestricted grant to help fund the production of Epilepsy Ireland campaign materials for International Epilepsy Day. Jazz have had no involvement or input into the content of any of the materials.
Nothing quite sticks in your head like a catchy song, and for our campaign for this year’s International Epilepsy Day we want you to listen now, and remember later – through our new single promoting seizure first aid – TIME, SAFE, STAY.
Seizure first aid is a potentially lifesaving intervention and our new song is designed to get stuck in your head so you can remember those three vital words of TIME, SAFE, STAY!
Visit Spotify via the button below to download to your library. With over 45,000 people living with epilepsy across Ireland, sharing is caring so please do share our new single to promote this important public health message!
Download and Listen on Spotify!
Time, Safe, Stay in detail
While we hope you’re humming our song by now, its important that you have an overview of exactly what we mean by TIME, SAFE, STAY.
TIME
The first thing you should do is TIME the seizure. This is because if a seizure goes over five minutes, an ambulance should be called. Note that convulsive seizures typically last less than 2 minutes. The person’s body may go from jerking into what looks like sleep; this is normal and classed as the recovery period. If the person’s body is still seizing (jerking) at 5 minutes, an ambulance should be called as this is classed as an emergency. For more information on other instances on when to call an ambulance, see further information later on this page.
SAFE
Keep the person SAFE during the seizure. If a person is having a convulsive seizure, cushion their head with something soft if possible and remove any harmful objects, e.g. furniture from their vicinity. NEVER put anything in a person's mouth or restrain them during a seizure.
Be aware that there are also types of seizures where the person does not experience convulsions. Instead, they may “zone out” or stare blankly, become confused or agitated, display behaviours like chewing, smacking their lips, tugging at their clothes, or wandering aimlessly. In this type of seizure, the person’s awareness of their surroundings is affected, and it is important to gently guide the person away from any danger. As with convulsive seizures, never restrict the person’s movements.
STAY
During the seizure and after it passes, STAY with the person. Often, after a seizure, a person with epilepsy will be confused and, in many cases, exhausted. Stay with them until recovery is complete, explain what has happened and gently reassure them. The person may have experienced an injury if they have fallen, so, ensure normal first aid steps are taken.
If someone’s not okay – we say TIME, SAFE STAY! Remember to download our song on Spotify to help remind you of these important steps and while you’re at it, why not download our detailed seizure first aid posters below:
Other times to call an ambulance
While our new single specifically highlights how you should call an ambulance after 5 minutes, there are other instances where an ambulance should be called which we have outlined below:
- Call an ambulance if a person having a seizure briefly comes out of it and goes into another one. This ties into calling an ambulance if a seizure goes over 5 minutes. Both scenarios are potentially very dangerous for the person, so they need expert care.
- Call an ambulance if you know it’s a person’s first seizure or if you’re not sure whether the person has epilepsy or not (often a person with epilepsy will have a bracelet or card in their wallet/purse indicating they have epilepsy.)
- Call an ambulance if the person is physically injured e.g. if they have taken a heavy fall during their seizure.
- Call an ambulance if the person is pregnant as a precautionary measure in case any checks need to be carried out.
- Call an ambulance if you’re in any doubt – this is the most important point of all. No–one is going to be annoyed at you for calling an ambulance out of real concern; not the person who’s having the seizure and not the ambulance crew.
Read about the lived experience of Epilepsy
Our new song has hopefully helped you remember those key words of TIME, SAFE, STAY - but what is it actually like to live with epilepsy and what are some of the realities facing people living with the condition? In the lead up to this year’s International Epilepsy Day, we have featured some incredible personal stories of life with the condition, which we have linked to below:
- Read Aoise's story on our website
- Read Dylan’s story on our website
- Read Katie's story on our website
- Read Pat's story on our website
- Read Paula's story on our website
- Read Zuzanna's story on our website
While you’re here…
Epilepsy Ireland’s vision is to achieve a society where no person’s life is limited by epilepsy. We work towards this vision through our:
- Support and information services for people with epilepsy and their families
- Training and education programmes for people with epilepsy, their families and the wider community
- Advocacy and awareness campaign aiming to change public perceptions of epilepsy and achieving positive policy changes that positively impact our community
- Investing in Irish epilepsy research to bridge the knowledge gaps which exist in the understating and treatment of epilepsy
You can learn all about this work and more across our website. We depend on the generosity of the public to continue our journey towards our vision. You can help us on this journey by making a vital donation via the button below – or, why not take on our March Walking Challenge in support of Epilepsy Ireland? Visit the ‘Fundraising’ section of our website to find out more and to sign up!
Thank you to....
- The TIME, SAFE, STAY song has been written and performed by Richie Egan and produced by Laudhaus – thank you to everyone involved for their work in developing this single!
- Jazz Pharmaceuticals has provided a hands-off unrestricted grant to help fund the production of our campaign materials for International Epilepsy Day; Jazz have had no involvement or input into any of the content of the campaign. Thank you to Jazz for their support. Find out more about Jazz's support by visiting the 'News' section of our website.
Need information or support about Epilepsy?
If you’re a person with epilepsy, a family member of a person with epilepsy – or a member of the public looking to learn more about a condition that affects over 45,000 in Ireland today, we are here to help. Get in touch with your local Community Resource Officer – you can find their details by visiting the ‘Our Local Services’ section of our website or submit your enquiry on our ‘Contact Us’ form via the button below.
