If you are worried about an older person, the GP is a good place to start. For many older people, the GP is trusted and familiar, and will have a sense of the person’s history, family context and local service options. The practice nurse is an important part of the picture too, helping with assessments, follow-up and noticing changes over time.
For people aged 75 and over, there is a Medicare-funded Older Person’s Health Assessment that can be used every 12 months. It is designed to look beyond a single issue and take stock of the bigger picture.
Families do not always need a crisis to take that step. Sometimes they are simply noticing small changes: a bit more unsteadiness, less confidence, missed medication, lower energy, memory lapses, or a sense that things are becoming harder than they used to be. Starting with the GP and practice nurse can bring structure, reassurance and a clearer sense of what to do next.
Why a comprehensive assessment helps
When families start to worry about an older parent, they are rarely looking at one neat problem. It is usually a mix of things. Mobility is not as good as it was. There have been a few near misses. Medications are becoming harder to manage. A partner is quietly carrying more. Appetite is poor. Confidence has dropped. Memory may not be quite the same.
That is part of what makes the GP such a useful place to start. A good GP can step back and look at the bigger picture, not just one symptom or one diagnosis. That is often what families need most at this stage – someone to help make sense of what is changing.
What the 75+ health assessment is
The 75+ health assessment is a structured health check for older people. It is broader than a standard appointment and is intended to assess health and physical, psychological and social function, and whether preventive care or medical intervention may be needed. In practical terms, it gives the practice time to look at how the person is going overall, not just deal with one immediate issue.
That broader view can be very helpful for families. It gives everyone a chance to step back, take stock and think about what may help now, before the situation becomes more urgent.
Why families often overlook it
Many families simply do not know this assessment exists. Others assume the GP is only the place to go when something is wrong in a more obvious medical sense. But concerns about ageing, function, confidence and day-to-day coping are exactly the kinds of things worth raising early.
That is particularly true for the sandwich generation. When you are juggling children, work and all the other demands of life, it can be hard to know when concern is enough to justify action. A health assessment can be a calm, practical way to review what is changing and think about what support may help.
The value of the practice nurse
In many clinics, the practice nurse helps keep things connected and can be a valuable part of the assessment and follow-up process. They may gather information, support parts of the health assessment under GP supervision, check in between appointments, reinforce advice, and help make sure important concerns are followed up rather than missed. Medicare allows practice nurses to assist with health assessments under GP supervision, and for eligible patients with a current chronic condition management plan there is a separate item for ongoing monitoring and support.
How the GP can help open the door to allied health
Another reason the GP is such a practical starting point is that they can help connect older people with the right allied health support. Under current Medicare arrangements, eligible patients with a GP chronic condition management plan can use up to five allied health or other primary care services per calendar year. Depending on the person’s needs, that may include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry or dietetics.
The practice nurse is often an important part of that process, helping with information gathering, care planning and follow-up. If it becomes clear that broader support at home may be needed, the GP or practice nurse can initiate a referral to My Aged Care, with the older person’s consent, so the assessment process can begin.
For families, that can make a real difference. A physiotherapist may help with strength, balance and falls prevention. An occupational therapist may help with home safety, equipment and day-to-day function. A dietitian may help where weight loss or if poor intake is becoming a concern. The important point is not the paperwork. It is that the GP and practice nurse can help turn a general worry into a clearer plan.
A good early step, not an overreaction
Sometimes families hesitate because they do not want to overreact. But booking an appointment because you have noticed changes is not overreacting. In many cases, it is one of the most sensible things you can do. It means you are paying attention early, while there is still time to understand what is changing and what support may help.
It can help to bring notes or a clear sense of what you have noticed. That might include falls, missed medication, weight loss, memory changes, reduced confidence, or anything that seems harder than it used to be. Clear examples make it easier for the GP and practice nurse to understand the picture and work out what should happen next.
What matters most
You do not need to have all the answers before booking the appointment. Often, the most useful first step is simply to start with someone who already knows the person, understands the broader picture, and can help make sense of what may be changing. That is why the GP and practice nurse can be such an important starting point.
How Aged Care Conversations can help
At Aged Care Conversations, we support older people and families to understand what is changing, prepare for appointments, and think through what support may help next. We offer curated resources, Aged Care School, one-to-one support, and our Weekly Open Line for practical, plain-English guidance.