Accommodation

Living solutions are individual, and are influenced by each persons own type of epilepsy, needs and living situation. Many can live alone regardless of epilepsy, but others with severe epilepsy require the support of others, and/or different medical equipment to cope. Some may need more help and supervision (service housing).

You can improve the safety of your home

Consider the safety risks regarding your epilepsy with your closed ones and professionals. You can think about the following questions:

How often do I have seizures, what kind of seizures are they?
What dangers can seizures cause?
Can I prepare for risks?
What actions can I take to ensure I’m prepared?

Mostly, these matters are related to incidents regarding an epileptic seizure and recovering from them when functionality has not yet reverted. You might want to consider the materials and furniture in your home, and how these are located. Are there any sharp corners and breakable items? Is there a risk to get burnt by boiling water or a dish? You can have home equipment that improves your safety, such as a thermostatic tap and an automatic tap, timed electrical outlets (for example to an iron) and a timed stove.

Disability services can reimburse home alterations for severely disabled persons

Sometimes there needs to be some alterations at home to improve safety and independency. Municipalities reimburse the costs of alterations to homes for severely disabled individuals when these are necessary for their daily life. Municipalities can also give or reimburse medical equipment that supports daily living, such as alarming machines.

Severe disability is not based on single diagnosis. Severely disabled is a person, who has special difficulties to succeed with daily functioning due to a disability or an illness.

According to the disability act, alterations at home can be, for example, removing doorsteps, attach supporting rails or altering the toilet and bathroom to improve safety.

Financial support for these alterations can be applied for from disability services. You will need doctor’s statement in the application. You can also attach other documents from your therapists and nurses about the need for these alterations.

If you are not entitled to housing alterations under the Disability Services Act, you can inquire about state-funded alterations and repairs from the municipal housing office. Income and assets influence on this kind of grant.

Help and support for daily living

Epilepsies are often unpredictable. Many cope well independently between seizures, but might need assistance once a seizure occurs.
You might need a lot of other kind of assistance. For example, cognitive functioning and memory weakening, restricted mobility and side effects of medicine might restrict independent living.

Municipal social and disability services are there for you when you need assistance due to an illness. These services include:

Domiciliary care and services if you need help to manage daily matters and personal functioning (chargeable)
Personal assistance to the chronically ill and disabled who repeatedly and necessarily need the assistance of another person to cope with daily activities and, for example, work and hobbies.
Family care allowance for a person assisting a family member or other close person.

There are many ways to arrange service housing

Service housing refers to suitable house and effective services. Service housing are organised based on the laws of social welfare, disability and developmental disability. It depends on individual situation on which law will be applied and how services are arranged. These can be:

Supported living: social services support independent living.
Service housing at a sheltered housing, sheltered housing groups or other living unit.
Service housing based on disability act, which can take part in owned, rented or other related apartment.

House allowance supports low-income housing

If you have low income, you might be supported financially by Kela. Family size and income influences on the allowance, which is paid monthly, and the decision evaluated yearly.