Epilepsy Ireland hosts national conference
EPILEPSY Ireland, the national epilepsy organisation, is holding a national epilepsy conference with 10 high quality speakers in the Clayton Hotel, Sligo this Saturday, September 9 th (10.30am – 4pm).
Affecting almost 40,000 people in Ireland, epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions.
• 1 in 115 people have epilepsy in Ireland
• 1 in every 20 people will have a single seizure at some time during their lives
• Nationally, there are approximately 10,000 children (under 16 years old) with the condition
• About 12,000-15,000 people in Ireland have uncontrolled epilepsy at any time
• Approximately 1,200 – 2,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy each year in Ireland
• Worldwide there are at least 50 million people with the condition
The event will focus on what’s new in epilepsy care and will feature some of the following speakers:
• Dr. Bryan Lynch -’ Top 10 things parents should know about their child’s epilepsy’ Consultant Paediatric Neurologist at the Temple Street Children’s University Hospital
• Dr. Kevin Murphy‘ Top 10 things adults should know about their epilepsy’
Consultant Neurologist, Sligo Regional Hospital
• Dr. Andrea Higgins ‘ Top 10 things you should know about memory & epilepsy’
Epilepsy Ireland CEO Peter Murphy said: “Over the years this event has proved extremely beneficial for people with epilepsy, their families and carers. The conference always provides useful information in the advances of treating the condition as well as Q&A sessions with medical professionals.
“There is a strong focus on children this year, which will also be extremely beneficial for parents. This is also a great opportunity for everyone in the epilepsy community to come together and share their experiences.
“Epilepsy Ireland has a significant connection with Sligo as our award winning pre-employment course Training For Success is based in IT Sligo.
“The course is entering its twentieth year and 85% of graduates have found a job or upskilled after they completed the programme.”
Epilepsy Ireland is the national organisation supporting and representing people with epilepsy, their families and carers.
Established in 1966, the charity today provides a wide range of support and information services from head office in Dublin and from nine locations around the country.
The charity also provides training programmes for both health professionals and for young adults with epilepsy; actively works to improve public understanding of epilepsy and funds high quality Irish research into the condition.
Epilepsy is the tendency to have recurring seizures. It can affect people of all ages, but is more prevalent in children, adolescents and the elderly.
It is also more common in people with an intellectual disability.
It is a treatable condition and the majority of people can become seizure-free thanks to medications or in some cases through surgical intervention. However, for about one in three people, existing treatments do not control the seizures and for this group in particular, epilepsy can be particularly debilitating, affecting the person’s education, employment, psychological & social functioning, self-esteem and independent living.