Health Assessments

We invite all eligible patients to have a health assessment performed. People eligible are the older patient (75 years and over (Items 700 & 702) or, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, 55 years of age and over (Items 704 & 706).

The health assessment provides a structured way of identifying health issues and conditions that are potentially preventable or amenable to interventions in order to improve health and/or quality of life.

The health assessment includes the following components:

• A medical component, including blood pressure, medication and immunisation status
• A physical component, including activities of daily living (ADLs) and mobility;
• A psychological component, including cognition and mood
• A social component, including adequacy of social support, carers and formal help arrangements

The health assessment should also examine:

• Number of falls
• Incontinence
• Medication review
• The need for community services
• Social isolation
• Oral health and dentition
• Nutrition status