IN BRIEF (Page 19)

'Senior moments', warning signs

Elderly people have a higher risk of becoming addicted to alcohol or medicine, and this can often go unnoticed by people in their surroundings.

"In a situation like that, the confusion experienced by an old person can often be mistaken for a sign of old age even though it may mean they're addicted to tablets," explains Martin Haupt, deputy president of the German Society of Geropsychiatry and Psychotherapy.