The Paramedical service provides specialized care in the form of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dietetics, and movement therapy. The paramedics are part of the multidisciplinary treatment team surrounding a patient when necessary.
They also offer specialized therapy forms, such as neurorehabilitation or sensory information processing. The highest possible quality of life for patients is always the central focus.
The (pediatric) physiotherapist is the expert in the field of motor skills. Problems with (learning) movement are often related to neurological conditions and/or physical limitations in Kempenhaeghe's patients. Long-term use of medications such as anticonvulsants can also play a role.
Physiotherapists assess the motor function of children and sometimes adults. In children, it may also involve motor-related questions to support the learning process. For residents of the Epilepsy Residential Care Center, treatment indications are usually neurological and/or orthopedic in nature.
Some epilepsy patients wear a protective helmet, which is fitted by the physiotherapists.
The occupational therapist helps individuals live as independently as possible. The support is typically focused on daily activities such as washing, dressing, eating, drinking, and arm and hand function. When necessary, the occupational therapist arranges additional aids, fits them—such as a wheelchair, splint, or lifting device—and teaches the patient/resident and sometimes the caregivers how to use them. The occupational therapist also provides support with care-related questions about posture and independence in movement.
Movement therapy focuses on encouraging movement in individuals and/or groups. In addition to attention to the body, it also emphasizes well-being and body awareness. The movement therapist provides advice on suitable, sometimes modified, physical activities to promote overall fitness.
Epilepsy, and sometimes intellectual disabilities, can be accompanied by speech/language problems. Speech therapists assess and treat children and adults, with and without intellectual disabilities, for issues related to speech, language, communication, voice, and swallowing. In the Epilepsy Residential Care Center, speech therapy is also involved in addressing hearing-related issues. The speech therapists collaborate multidisciplinary where necessary. Within the Epilepsy Residential Care Center, the speech therapist is also part of the eating and drinking team, the autism team, and the sensory integration (SI) team.
The dietitians at Kempenhaeghe provide advice on healthy nutrition and lifestyle, assist with underweight or overweight, and are involved in the use of tube feeding and managing (food) intolerances. The dietitians are part of the eating and drinking team, which mainly supports residents of the Epilepsy Residential Care Center. In the Academic Center for Epileptology, the dietitians are part of the ketogenic diet treatment team.
The ketogenic diet is an important treatment method for people with therapy-resistant epilepsy. The dietitians play a specialized role in setting up and calculating the diet to induce ketosis (fat burning) and in teaching the diet. For more information, see www.ketogeenmenu.nl.