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The role of a geriatrician

6-minute read

Key facts

  • A geriatrician is a doctor who specialises in caring for older people.
  • Geriatricians can help you take care of a wide range of problems that you may experience as you get older.
  • You will need a referral from your doctor to see a geriatrician.
  • Geriatricians can work in hospitals, aged care facilities and the community.

What is a geriatrician?

A geriatrician is an expert in the health of older people (geriatric medicine). Geriatricians have completed training which makes them a specialist doctor (consultant).

Geriatricians are experts in:

Some conditions and problems that are common in older age are:

As well as their clinical role, geriatricians are often also active:

When do I see a geriatrician?

There are many reasons why your doctor may refer you to a geriatrician. You may want to ask your doctor:

Geriatricians can work in:

There has been a large increase in geriatric services over the past 20 years.

What should I expect during an appointment with a geriatrician?

It's a good idea to take a family member or close friend with you to your appointment with a geriatrician.

Your geriatrician will ask about your symptoms, and they may examine you.

They may also ask about:

They might do or organise tests, such as:

You might need to wait for test results before you can discuss a treatment or management plan.

Your doctor will ask you about your treatment preferences. They might also refer you to other specialists or allied health services.

After your visit, the geriatrician will send a report to your doctor (GP). Your geriatrician may suggest regular and ongoing follow-up visits.

How much will seeing a geriatrician cost?

You can see a geriatrician at a public hospital clinic. This is covered by Medicare, so you don't need to pay anything.

It can be expensive to see private specialists. Ask about the costs when you book your appointment. You should also ask what costs Medicare will cover.

If you plan to use private health insurance, contact your health fund to find out what costs they will cover.

If the costs are too high, you can:

What questions should I ask a geriatrician?

Before your appointment, you may want to think about questions to ask your geriatrician. You may want to write them down so that you don't forget them during your appointment.

Some ideas for questions that you might want to ask are:

Read about other questions you may want to ask your doctor.

Your geriatrician will be happy to try and answer any questions you have.

You can use healthdirect's question builder to help you better prepare for your medical appointment by creating a list of questions to ask your doctor.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR — Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist.

How do I find a geriatrician?

Ask your doctor, close friends or family to suggest a good geriatrician. You can also use healthdirect's service finder to find a geriatrician near you.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

Do I need a referral to see a geriatrician?

You will need a referral from your doctor or another specialist doctor to see a geriatrician.

The referral letter lets your doctor pass on useful information about you to the geriatrician. The referral letter may cover:

Resources and support

My Aged Care has information on help and support for older Australians — phone 1800 200 422.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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