75+ Health Assessments
What are 75+ Health Assessments?
These assessments are conducted for our patients aged over 75 years old and are team based approach to patient care as the initial examination is conducted by one of our nursing staff and then completed by the doctor.
Why have a 75+ Health Assessment?
These health assessments are designed to provide preventative care for patients, as they can signal the early identification of clinical problems such as incontinence and cognitive impairment. It also opens the opportunity for the nurse to assess fall and injury risk and to seek assistance from community groups to possibly have items such as ramps and safety hand rails installed in the home.
Home Medication Reviews (HMRs)
What are HMRs?
Home Medication Reviews (HMRs) are a joint involvement of the doctor and the patient’s preferred pharmacy reviewing the patients medications to provide the patient with a medication management plan. The pharmacy is provided with a list of current medications by the doctor and the pharmacist will visit the patient at home to review this as well as the medications the patient has at home to ensure they are all still current. By checking on the patient’s medications, the pharmacist can then destroy any old medications that are no longer required to reduce the risk medication mix ups.
Why have a HMR?
Eligible patients are recommended to have an HMR to:
- make sure medications are being taken safely and correctly and address and medication-related problems that may have arisen
- improve the patient’s quality of care by providing a joint review between the doctor and the pharmacist
- improve the patient’s knowledge and understanding of their medications
Who is eligible to have a HMR?
It is up to the doctor to determine whether or not a HMR for a patient is clinically necessary, however Medicare include the following examples of risk factors in patients that would require a HMR:
- currently taking five or more regular medications
- taking more than 12 doses of medication per day
- with significant changes to their medication regimen in the last three months, including recent discharge from hospital
- taking medication with a narrow therapeutic index or required therapeutic monitoring
- with symptoms suggestive of an adverse drug reaction
- having difficulty managing their own medicines because of literacy or language difficulties, impaired sight
- attending a number of different doctors
The HMR service is not available to in-patients of a hospital, day hospital facility or care recipients in residential aged-care facilities.
If you are a patient of Two Wells Medical Clinic and would like a organise a 75+ Health Assessment or Home Medication Review please contact us.