Each year our services team answer thousands of calls on the Epilepsy Queensland Helpline. For the past 13 years, one of the sympathetic ears on the other end of the phone has been Client Services Coordinator - Jenny Ritchie. Jenny shares with us how we assist people through the Epilepsy Helpline, whether you are a person living with epilepsy, a family member, carer, employer, educator or health professional.
About you
What sort of things would you do in your typical day?
At Epilepsy Queensland, the day is often busy answering phone calls, taking training requests and delivering training to different organisations. Working with people who provide respite and assistance to people who have some difficult epilepsies is very humbling, they provide an important service to the community. I also take many phone calls on the epilepsy helpline, often the most endearing calls come from our members. They want to share their stories or would just like someone to listen to them as they sort through their diagnosis, or just their day-to-day challenges of living with epilepsy.
How long have you been working at Epilepsy Queensland?
I started at Epilepsy Queensland approximately 13 years ago. It doesn’t seem that long though. We are a supportive and friendly bunch of people and that ethos is something that sits well with me.
What do you love about your job?
Listening to people’s stories, walking with them as they navigate their way through all sorts of issues is a privilege. I love having time at work to be available to listen and support people on whatever their journey holds. That is a high priority for us at EQI, just being with people in their grief and in their celebrations, as well as witnessing the acceptance that comes with knowledge and empowerment. People have built up their own resilience and that always warms my heart. Sometimes I wish there were more hours in the day. For all of us I believe life gets in the way, we haven’t the time to just be present and listen to each other.
About the helpline
Tell us about the helpline. What do people call you about?
The phone calls we receive are wide and varied. They range from the practical side of things like ‘where do I buy a bed monitor’ or ‘how do I take this medication’, to assisting the school environment in epilepsy management and safety. Or from making a time to meet with a family who have a new diagnosis to booking them in for training and understanding seizure first aid. Our calls often are more about advocating for the person with epilepsy, maybe it’s that their workplace is frightened of seizures. Maybe it’s that the children in the classroom want to know how to help their young friend when they have a seizure. The person on the other end of the phone may just want to talk about how their moods have changed since having seizures or they want someone to explain the anxiety they are experiencing because that is something they’ve never had before. All these opportunities give us the chance to listen and support people through the helpline with either practical advice or emotional support.
As a counselor, do you answer different types of calls to the nursing staff on the team?
We as a team at EQI are all skilled in assisting people with their concerns around epilepsy. If we feel that another team member is able to assist more specifically we would refer them to the caller. As a counselor, I suppose some calls are referred to me because of a different skill set and life experience. Just as the nurses here at EQI have a specialised appreciation of the medical side of things, I hope that I provide a secure place for people to access and understand their vulnerability in traveling through the day-to-day issues.
Are people often upset or worried when they call?
I can appreciate firsthand how receiving a new diagnosis can knock you sideways for a bit. It often brings up concerns and fears that we think we’ve never dealt with before. Many of our callers are frightened initially, and worried about their future. Not being able to drive anymore often beings up feelings of limitation and frustration. We can help them understand their circumstances. We have the time to listen as they unpack what has happened to them and often provide some solutions.
Do health professionals often call the helpline and what support can you provide them?
We are very grateful to our health professional associates, such as hospital clinics and neurologists, who refer their patients to us for further consultation. We have a wealth of information we can assist their patients with and appreciate the opportunity to do so.
What hours is the helpline staffed?
The helpline is available between 9am and 4.00pm weekdays. The team is often out in the community delivering training, so if anyone wants to visit us in the office, it’s best to make an appointment.
If people aren’t comfortable or able to reach you on the phone during office hours, are there other ways they can have their questions answered?
We all have our preferred way of communicating. Some of us like to chat on the phone and some prefer to email the conversation or ask questions via social media. We are happy to communicate in a person’s preferred way. Some people like to communicate face to face, this is sometimes difficult, however, we are happy to offer an appointment for an office visit.
For information and support contact our friendly Services team on the epilepsy helpline on 07 3435 5000 or 1300 852 853 (outside Brisbane). Alternately, you can email services@epilepsyqueensland.com.au.