Older people and knowledge of epilepsy: GPs can help

Epilepsy is a common neurological disease with a high prevalence in people aged 65 years or older. Therefore, an understanding of the disease is important. The objective of this article was to determine older people's knowledge of epilepsy.

Electronic or paper-based surveys were completed by people aged 65 years and older.

Five hundred and seventy-two surveys were completed, including 100 from people with epilepsy. Those with epilepsy had relatively poor knowledge of their condition, but they answered some questions significantly more correctly than participants without epilepsy. The main predictor of knowledge was clear information from a health professional. Two-thirds of those with epilepsy had their condition managed by a general practitioner.

Older people with epilepsy need more information on their condition to facilitate better care management.