Apps

Managing your epilepsy

• ELFy
  Reminders/alerts to take your medication at the specified time, guidance on managing epilepsy and when to contact health services.
• EpSMon: Epilepsy Self-Monitoring
  Designed by SUDEP Action, the app aims to help you assess and monitor your health. Complete a short questionnaire every three months to receive a report to take to your next appointment with your neurologist or epilepsy specialist nurse.
• Health and Care Oxfordshire
  Help to decide what service to contact for medical assistance. The app can suggest services or pharmacies that are closest to you.
• My Seizure Diary
  Designed by the Epilepsy Foundation, the app allows you to record your seizures, seizure triggers and medication side effects.

Cognition and language difficulties

For people experiencing memory or language difficulties e.g. word finding

Brain training

These brain training apps can be fun to use and may help improve some aspects of attention.

They may also improve your confidence in your ability, however there is no evidence that they can directly improve memory functioning. The most effective way of managing memory problems is to use compensatory strategies including use of a notebook, diary or electronic organisers (please see the prehabilitation section).

Elevate and Lumosity

Word finding

These apps may be specifically useful for people who are experiencing language difficulties.

• 4 Pics 1 Word
  Practise and improve word association, retrieval, naming and reasoning abilities.
• Tactus Therapy
  A collection of apps that provide support for a range of language difficulties. Language Therapy Lite is free to download and provides support with reading, writing, speaking and listening. They also provide a range of other apps which incur a cost.
• Talk Around It Aphasia apps
  A collection of apps designed by speech and language therapists to help people with word finding difficulties. Cues help people to name the image. The introductory app is free but additional apps incur a cost.

Wellbeing

Physical and mental health are very closely connected, and it is important to look after both your physical health and your emotional wellbeing. Many people with epilepsy experience mood-related difficulties. These may be related to epilepsy itself, or medication, or be due to the psychological impact of living with a long-term condition.

The apps below are not specifically developed for people with epilepsy, but may be helpful for anyone experiencing mood-related difficulties. Some of the apps are initially free but may require payment for extended use.

• Headspace
  Headspace uses mindfulness techniques to help people to learn to meditate and live mindfully. This may be helpful in reducing stress levels, improving concentration and improving sleep.
  
• Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World
  Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is a psychological approach which has been shown to be helpful to people living with a range of physical and mental health difficulties. This app, designed by researchers at the University of Oxford, helps you to develop your mindfulness skills. This may be particularly useful for managing stress levels, becoming more aware of your body and regulating anxiety.
• MindShift
  Mindshift is a self-help anxiety app. The app includes information about anxiety, and allows you to choose what you would like to focus on. Some examples include tackling social anxiety, managing worry and taking charge of panic. It then provides 'psychoeducation' on how to cope with these situations, and also provides relaxation and breathing exercises.
  
• Moodpath
  Moodpath is an app that can be used to monitor mood. The resulting information may be useful for your own knowledge and could also be shared with relevant health professionals. This could subsequently inform what support is likely to be the most effective for you.
• NHS Apps Library
  The NHS Apps Library provides a wide range of resources especially for apps that focus on mental health and wellbeing. people can use this site to look through the recommended apps and select one that appeals to them the most.