How can your Embrace help while staying at home?

In these times when it has become necessary for most of us to stay at home, it may feel hard to keep up with your usual routine. Moreover, you may be unable to see your neurologist face-to-face or even your caregivers. Some of you may be home alone, while others might be trying to balance remote work with looking after your little ones. That is why there has never been a more important time to be able to monitor your and your loved ones' health at home, and this is where your Embrace can help!

We've compiled some useful tips on how you can make the most of your Embrace if you're at home:

Remember to wear Embrace while sleeping

Charge Embrace before you or your child goes to sleep, so you get round-the-clock alerting and, more importantly, alerting for nocturnal seizures. Some users found it easier to establish regular charging times when other people are around so that they won’t go uncovered if they have a seizure while Embrace is charging. If your child has epilepsy, you can give Embrace a quick 30-minute charge when your little one is around you (maybe during dinner) to ensure you have enough battery to cover you for the rest of the night. This way, you can rest assured that Embrace will alert you if it detects a seizure with your child sleeping next door. If you live alone, you can consider charging Embrace while you’re having a video call with your friends, so that when you’re done you’ll have enough battery to last you through the night.

If living alone, consider adding a neighbor as a caregiver

Consider asking a neighbor if you can add them as a caregiver in Alert, so someone close to you can get you help fast in case of a seizure. If you have a flatmate, you can also ask them to be listed as one of your caregivers. It might be a good opportunity to bond with them and tell them about your epilepsy and what to do if you have a seizure (if you haven’t done so already), since they may be the nearest ones available to help if you have a seizure at home.

Send screenshots of your Mate App to your doctor

In many parts of the world, including the US, health agencies are now allowing doctors to reach their patients using Facetime, Facebook messenger, and other consumer apps. If you are talking to your doctor using a video call, you can share your Mate screens with them by taking screenshots from your phone and sending it to them in advance, or by using some screen sharing apps to make it easier for them to see it while you are speaking with them. By doing this, they can get a better view of how your lifestyle patterns might have changed since your last visit.

For a more detailed overview, share your seizure history with your doctor through email

You can easily download a PDF version of your seizure history from your Empatica Account and share it with your doctor through email or other preferred channels of communication. That way, you can always keep your doctor in the loop, even while you are at home. Remember that you’ll have a more accurate seizure diary when you dutifully review the Alerts on your app, through the Alert Review feature.

Monitor your rest though the Mate App

Having a good night’s sleep is more important than ever. Apart from having a possible impact on your seizure patterns, sleep is also important for maintaining healthy brain function and emotional well-being, as well as boosting your immune system. You can regularly check in the Mate App to see if you've had a good night's sleep. You might notice that you haven't been sleeping well enough through the Rest Analysis, and if so, you can follow our tips to see how you can sleep better. If you’re wondering whether you might be having seizures while sleeping, you can read our blog post to know more about nighttime seizures and how your Embrace can help.

Keep your phone with you at all times

Because you are at home, it is easy to leave your phone in the bedroom while making breakfast or on the couch in the living room while you’re in the bathroom. Don't forget that [Embrace needs to be within 10m/30ft from your phone at all times, without obstructions like walls,](http://how the alert system works: Staying connected to your Embrace/) to constantly stay connected to it. One tip could be to make sure that whichever clothes you have on has a pocket so that you can always put the phone in it while you’re not using it. If Embrace is used by your child, you can put the phone in a fancy fanny pack and have them wear it at all times, so that the phone stays with them.

Remember that our support team is always here to help if you have any questions or require any assistance with your Embrace. Don’t hesitate to send us an email to support@empatica.com or call +1 (866) 739-2049 from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time), Monday - Friday. In the meantime, find some of our users’ tips on getting the most out of your Embrace useful.

Stay safe!

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