Healthcare for Seniors and Older patients

As we grow older our medical needs become more complex. We are able to  spend more time with our older patients providing quality and compassionate care. Our goal is to  maximise your health and wellbeing  so you can maintain an independent and fulfilling life. Our doctors understand the value of a coordinated, integrated approach and liaise closely with specialist and other healthcare providers.

We’re here to help you naivete the ageing process.

Common areas that cause concern for older patients and their families are:

• Decreasing mobility
• Loss of  confidence
• Increased falls risk
• Difficulty managing at home
• Worries about memory
• Continence.

We help older patients access Medicare rebates for allied health services including podiatrists, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists and dietitians.

Read  more about how we help at our page:

Chronic Disease Management

Annual Health Assessment for patients over 75 year  old

We offer our patients who are over 75 year old a comprehensive annual health assessment with our nurse and their doctor to proactively prevent or solve  problems. Our aim is to help you live independently in your own home and enjoy a fulfilling life as long as possible. Our in-depth process includes:

• A review of current  and past medical conditions,
• A review of your medications,
• Assessing physical ability and nutrition,
• Assessing social supports and  home safety,
• Checks for memory problems or depression,
• Other important issues. We offer these assessments with no extra cost to the patient.

This  process  can help identify patients who may  be able to access Medicare-eligible  access to allied health professionals.

75 year old Drivers  Medical  Certificate  Examinations

Drivers who are over 75 years old are required to have an annual medical clearance. Our older drivers often choose to schedule the health assessment before having their annual driver’s medical examination. This can help reduce the number of visits to see us! The form can be downloaded from  Medical certificate for motor vehicle driver form (F3712) (scroll down page) or collected from your local transport and motoring customer service centre.

Safer Driving

You can learn more about safer driving with medical conditions and why these checks  were introduced at:

• Driving, your health and the law medical  Conditions reporting  otherwise  referred to as Jet’s Law.
• Safe Driving -Drivers 75 years and over 

The RACQ offers Older driver programs which include education about

•  Recent changes to the Queensland road rules
•  Medical considerations when driving
•  Alternative transport option

We understand that an assessment in a doctor’s surgery may not always  reflect safety when driving in a car. Where there is  doubt about fitness to drive, it may be necessary for you to arrange for a qualified occupational therapist  to conduct an in-car assessment.

Home Medications Review (Domiciliary Medication Management Review

The GPs at Reydon Street work with local pharmacists to address medication issues. Pharmacists can help you manage your medications more safely, including packing into dispensing packs. We can arrange for a pharmacist  to visit your home to perform a Home Medications Review (Domiciliary Medication Management Review (DMMR).

We have a visiting geriatrician

Furthermore, to make accessing a specialist easier, Dr Peter Kortlucke is our visiting geriatrician and attends on a weekly basis.

Advance Care planning

Advance care planning involves thinking and making choices now to ensure family, doctors and hospitals are aware of what health care you i would like in the future. Put more bluntly, it includes decisions about resuscitation, life support machines or operations  at a time when you might be seriously or terminally ill and cannot communicate these to those around you. It is important to talk  about your wishes, values, beliefs and treatment preferences with your family, friends and doctors.

Planning ahead can mean:

• discussing your health care and quality of life choices with those closest to you, and
• choosing and appointing your Enduring Power of Attorney(s), and/or
• completing an Advance Health Directive and / or
• writing down your values, beliefs and health care preferences in a Statement of Choices.

It is  important that these are documented in writing after appropriate, open discussion with family, loved one and your family doctor. Visit the  Queensland Health My Care, My Choices Advance Care Planning website for forms and more information. Once you have documented your  wishes they need to be somewhere where they can be accessed  quickly and easily. We can help upload them to Queensland Health so they can be held on file centrally.

The Office of the Public Guardian

The Public guardian is there to  help protect people who do not have the capacity to make decisions or look after themselves

If you need help making decisions for someone else, or feel they need someone to look after their interests, see the Public Guardian website