Poor memory can mean that medication is missed and appointments forgotten. This is where simple solutions such as dosette boxes, lists, notepads, alarm clocks and even reminder calls can provide peace of mind for everyone. The fear of injury, falling in public, the problems of taking a longer time to recover from a seizure, and the overriding issue of dependence, are some of the concerns facing older people living with a chronic condition like epilepsy. This is why there is a need for care and understanding from everyone and for sharing of information and strategies with the individual, doctors, family members, friends and concerned others. The mainstay of management is medication in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle.
Medical management means controlling the seizures with the prescribed anti-epileptic medication.
The aim of medical management is to stop the seizures with minimum adverse side effects from the drugs prescribed by the doctor. Research and clinical experience indicate that some older people can experience more side effects from medication than other age groups. Side effects can include falls, drowsiness and memory impairment. Older people are known to metabolize their drugs more slowly and may be sensitive to drugs. There is also the possibility of interactions between the anti-epileptic drugs and other medications.