Traditionally, epilepsy has been thought of as a condition of the young, however, recent research has revealed that epilepsy is increasingly common in over 60 and particularly in people over 80 years of age. A quarter of all new cases of epilepsy occurs in people over the age of 60 and the proportion is rising.
	25% of people newly diagnosed are over 60.
	1 in 20 people who have a stroke will develop some form of epilepsy, usually within the first few months of the stroke.
	9 in 10 people who develop epilepsy in later life are found to have a physical cause in the brain for the seizures, which can be picked up by MRI scanning.
	Seizures and drug side-effects can be difficult to identify in someone who already has other medical conditions which are commonly experienced by this age group.
	Anti-epileptic drugs can sometimes interact with medication taken for other medical problems.
	Diagnostic tests such as EEG, CT and MRI are equally important for anyone but are unfortunately less likely to be carried out in persons over the age of 60.
	Having epilepsy does not imply that someone has, or will go on to develop psychiatric problems or dementia.
	The vast majority of people with epilepsy in this age group do not have seizures as they are controlled by anti-epileptic medication.
Generally the aspirations of people with epilepsy are the same, whatever their age; for those who develop epilepsy in later life, four important issues have been identified:
	Aim for no seizures - up to 80% of people achieve complete control of their seizures with anti-epileptic medication, so the prognosis is good.
	Aim for no side-effects - there are possible side-effects associated with all medications, but the risk of these effects can be reduced by prescribing, where possible, a single anti epileptic drug to control the seizures.
	Aim for no drug interactions - by informing the prescribing doctor of any other medication that is being taken regularly, many possible interactions can be avoided. It is, however, still important to keep watching for any side-effects which may indicate an interaction and report these to the doctor.
	Aim to lead a normal life - if seizures are not controlled, risks can be minimised by making minor lifestyle adjustments.