Medicare Bulk Billing for all eligible patients· Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm· Muswellbrook Fair, Tenancy 16–17, Rutherford Road· (02) 6530 7404

All Medicare-eligible consultations are bulk billed for patients with a valid Medicare card. Some items, including privately purchased vaccines and consumables, attract a fee.

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Care for older adults.More medicines, more to review.

Getting older is not a diagnosis. But it does mean more medicines, more interactions, and more things that get quietly put up with when they could be fixed.

Book a health assessment → (02) 6530 7404 All services

What to know

Book the right lengthTell reception what it is about so enough time is set aside.

No referral neededThis is general practice care — you can book directly with us.

Ask for who you preferMale and female GPs are available. Say who you would like when you book.

One practiceYour history in one place, so nothing has to be explained twice

Longer if you need itAsk reception for a long appointment when there is more than one thing

Bulk billedStandard consultations, for everyone with a valid Medicare card

Standard GP consultations are bulk billed for everyone with a valid Medicare card.

What it coversIn plain language Signs to noticeWhat is worth a visit How it works hereStep by step QuestionsThe things people ask BookMake an appointment RelatedOther services

An hour to lookat the whole picture.

From 75 onward, an annual health assessment is available through Medicare. It is a long appointment, usually with the practice nurse and then the GP, and it covers the things a ten-minute consultation never gets to: balance, memory, hearing, vision, continence, mood, nutrition, medicines and how you are actually managing at home.

It often produces the most useful outcome of any appointment — not a new diagnosis, but two or three practical changes that keep you independent longer.

Bring every boxIncluding things from another doctor, the supermarket, and anything a friend recommended. Interactions are the single most common fixable problem.

Book a 75+ health assessment →

Do I have to be unwell to have one?

No. It is most useful when you feel fine, because that is when problems are small enough to fix easily.

Is it bulk billed?

Yes, with a valid Medicare card.

What is a Home Medicines Review?

A pharmacist visits you at home, goes through every medicine, and reports back to your GP. It is very good at finding duplicates and interactions.

What we check

Balance and falls risk

What we checkBalance and falls risk

Including a simple walking and balance test.

What we check

Every medicine

What we checkEvery medicine

Doses, duplicates, interactions and anything that could be stopped.

What we check

Memory and mood

What we checkMemory and mood

Both are commonly missed and both are worth knowing about early.

What we check

Hearing and vision

What we checkHearing and vision

Two of the biggest causes of isolation, and both often fixable.

What we check

Continence and bowel habit

What we checkContinence and bowel habit

Rarely raised, frequently treatable, and life-changing when sorted.

What we check

How home is working

What we checkHow home is working

Steps, lighting, rails, cooking, driving and who is nearby.

The things that getput up with quietly.

Get seen the same dayA fall with a head knock, especially on blood thinners · sudden confusion · stroke signs (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty) · chest pain · sudden severe breathlessness. Call 000. Sudden confusion in an older person is very often a treatable infection — it needs assessing, not waiting out.

Most of what limits people as they get older is not one dramatic event. It is a slow accumulation of things that never quite got mentioned.

When should I worry about memory?

Forgetting names and where you put things is common. Getting lost somewhere familiar, repeating the same question in one conversation, or struggling with tasks you have done for decades is worth assessing.

Is one fall a problem?

Yes. One fall roughly doubles the chance of another, and most causes — blood pressure, medicines, vision, footwear, strength — are treatable.

What about feeling low?

Depression in older adults often shows as tiredness, pain and withdrawal rather than sadness. It is not a normal part of ageing.

Falls

Any fall, even a small one

FallsAny fall, even a small one

One fall roughly doubles the risk of another. Nearly always worth investigating.

Balance

Holding furniture to move around

BalanceHolding furniture to move around

A quiet adaptation that signals a fixable balance or strength problem.

Dizziness

Light-headed on standing

DizzinessLight-headed on standing

Often blood pressure medicines. Frequently adjustable.

Strength

Struggling out of a low chair

StrengthStruggling out of a low chair

Leg strength is trainable at any age, and it protects independence.

Memory

Repeating the same question

MemoryRepeating the same question

Within one conversation, rather than across a week.

Confusion

Getting lost somewhere familiar

ConfusionGetting lost somewhere familiar

Different from forgetting a name. Worth assessing.

Mood

Withdrawing from things you enjoyed

MoodWithdrawing from things you enjoyed

Depression in older adults often looks like tiredness and pain rather than sadness.

Sleep

Sleep that has changed markedly

SleepSleep that has changed markedly

Both a symptom and a cause. Worth untangling.

Hearing

Turning the television up, or avoiding groups

HearingTurning the television up, or avoiding groups

Untreated hearing loss is strongly linked to isolation and to memory decline.

Vision

Glare, blurring or missing steps

VisionGlare, blurring or missing steps

Also one of the biggest falls risks.

Weight

Clothes getting looser

WeightClothes getting looser

Unintentional weight loss always needs a reason.

Continence

Planning your day around toilets

ContinencePlanning your day around toilets

Very common, very rarely raised, and often treatable.

Medicines

Losing track of doses

MedicinesLosing track of doses

A packed or dated pack solves this, and a review may reduce the number.

Driving

Near misses, or family worrying

DrivingNear misses, or family worrying

Better discussed early and honestly than after an incident.

Eating

Skipping meals or living on toast

EatingSkipping meals or living on toast

Nutrition drives strength, healing and mood.

None of these are inevitable. Most have something that can be done about them.

Most of what limits people is never mentioned.Which is why the assessment asks, rather than waiting to be told.

Long appointment,nurse and GP.

Health assessments are booked as a long appointment, usually starting with the practice nurse.

Book online through HotDoc →

How long does it take?

Around an hour in total, often split between the nurse and your GP.

Can family come?

Yes, and it usually helps. A second perspective often fills in what gets minimised.

Can you help with My Aged Care?

Yes. We can make the referral for an assessment and support you through it.

1Book the assessmentAvailable annually from age 75. Say it is a health assessment.Yearly

2Bring everythingAll medicines in their boxes, your glasses, and a family member if you like.On the day

3Nurse then GPMeasurements, balance, memory, hearing, mood and home. Then the clinical decisions.About an hour

4A practical planUsually two or three concrete changes, plus referrals where they help.Same day

75+ health assessments

Falls prevention

Medication reviews

Memory concerns

My Aged Care referrals

Home Medicines Review

Bulk billed

Continuity with your GP

75+ health assessments

Falls prevention

Medication reviews

Memory concerns

My Aged Care referrals

Home Medicines Review

Bulk billed

Continuity with your GP

75+ health assessments

Falls prevention

Medication reviews

Memory concerns

My Aged Care referrals

Home Medicines Review

Bulk billed

Continuity with your GP

Older adultsquestions, answered.

What is a 75+ health assessment?

An annual Medicare-funded long appointment covering the whole picture — balance, memory, medicines, senses, mood and home.

Is it bulk billed?

Yes, with a valid Medicare card.

How long does it take?

About an hour, usually with the practice nurse and then your GP.

Can you refer me to My Aged Care?

Yes, we can make the referral and help with the process.

What is a Home Medicines Review?

A pharmacist reviews all your medicines at home and reports back to your GP.

I have had a fall. Should I book?

Yes. One fall is a strong predictor of another, and most causes are treatable.

I am worried about my memory.

Book a long appointment. Assessment is worth having — some causes are entirely reversible.

Do you do home visits?

Ring and ask. It depends on circumstances and doctor availability.

General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.

Relatedservices.

All servicesThe full list of 38 services offered here Health assessments45–49, 75+ and other Medicare assessments Chronic disease managementCare plans for long-term conditions Repeat prescriptionsMedication reviews and 60-day scripts

No surprises

Know the costbefore you come in.

Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.

Book online → Call (02) 6530 7404

Prefer to meet us first? Meet the doctors →

Everyday care

Family health

Procedures & tests

Ongoing & preventive

Care for older adults.More medicines, more to review.

An hour to lookat the whole picture.

Balance and falls risk

Every medicine

Memory and mood

Hearing and vision

Continence and bowel habit

How home is working

The things that getput up with quietly.

Any fall, even a small one

Holding furniture to move around

Light-headed on standing

Struggling out of a low chair

Repeating the same question

Getting lost somewhere familiar

Withdrawing from things you enjoyed

Sleep that has changed markedly

Turning the television up, or avoiding groups

Glare, blurring or missing steps

Clothes getting looser

Planning your day around toilets

Losing track of doses

Near misses, or family worrying

Skipping meals or living on toast

Long appointment,nurse and GP.

Older adultsquestions, answered.

Relatedservices.

Know the costbefore you come in.