Geriatric medicine consultation
A specialist appointment for older people that looks at health, medicines, mobility, memory, mood and home life together, to build a personal plan around what matters most to you.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- A geriatric consultation looks at the whole person, medical conditions, medicines, mobility, falls, memory, mood and home life, not just one problem.
- It is an assessment and a conversation, not a procedure or a single test, and it works best when it is built around your own goals.
- Reviewing medicines is central and can reduce side effects, interactions and unnecessary tablets.
- The output is usually a shared, written plan, which may include tests, therapy, equipment, referrals or planning ahead for the future.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your specialist will give you advice for your situation.
Looks at the whole picture rather than one problem, which can uncover treatable issues
An urgent or emergency problem, such as a suspected stroke, chest pain or acute confusion, needs emergency care, not a routine appointment.
The geriatrician discusses the findings and a plan with you, including any immediate medicine changes, referrals or tests.
A clear, written summary shared with you and your GP, setting out the plan and reasons.
The geriatrician discusses the findings and a plan with you, including any immediate medicine changes, referrals...
You should receive a written summary, and your GP is usually informed. Any urgent changes, such as stopping a...
Referrals to therapy, memory services or other specialists are arranged, and any tests are done. Medicine changes...
A follow-up reviews how the plan is working, adjusts medicines or referrals, and updates the plan as your...
What is a geriatric medicine consultation?
A geriatric medicine consultation is a specialist appointment with a doctor (a geriatrician) who focuses on the health of older people, often working with a wider team such as nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. It is sometimes called a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA).
Rather than looking at one problem in isolation, the appointment looks at the whole person. It usually covers your medical conditions, your medicines, how you are managing day to day, your mobility and any falls, your memory and mood, and your home and support. The aim is to understand how these fit together and to agree a plan built around the things that matter most to you.
Medicines are a key focus. Older people are often on several medicines, and a careful review can reduce side effects and interactions and stop medicines that are no longer helping. The appointment also considers frailty, falls and bone health, and can arrange tests, therapy, equipment or referrals where helpful.
A geriatric assessment cannot fix everything, and it is not a single test with a clear yes-or-no answer. It is a structured, personal review that aims to improve wellbeing, independence and safety, and to make sure your care reflects your own goals and wishes, including, where you want, planning ahead for future care.
Types, options & approaches
There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.
Options at a glance
These are the main approaches described in this guide. The right option depends on the diagnosis, your goals and what your clinician thinks is safe.
Medical review
A look at your long-term conditions and symptoms together, including how they interact, with attention to frailty and any recent decline in health.
Medicines review
A careful check of all your medicines, including over-the-counter ones, to reduce side effects, interactions and tablets that are no longer needed, and to make taking them...
Memory, mood and mental wellbeing
An assessment of memory and thinking, mood, and risk of confusion (delirium), with onward referral, for example to a memory service, where appropriate.
Mobility, falls and function
A look at walking, balance, falls and how you manage daily activities, often with physiotherapy or occupational therapy input and advice on equipment or home safety.
Preparing for your appointment
- Bring all your medicines or an up-to-date list, including anything you buy yourself, vitamins and supplements.
- Bring your glasses and hearing aids, and any walking aids you use, so the assessment is accurate.
- Write down your main concerns and what you would most like to get out of the appointment.
- Note any recent falls, memory or mood changes, weight changes, or new difficulties with daily tasks.
- Bring relevant letters, recent test results and the names of other clinicians involved in your care.
- Consider bringing a family member or carer, who can help with the history and remember the plan.
- If memory is a concern, a relative's account ('collateral history') is often very helpful.
- Think about your wishes for the future, as the appointment may touch on planning ahead.
What happens
The appointment usually starts with a conversation about your health, your concerns and what matters most to you. The geriatrician takes a detailed history covering your conditions, symptoms, medicines, memory, mood, mobility, falls, and how you manage at home. A relative or carer is often welcome and can add useful detail, especially about memory.
There is usually an examination, and sometimes simple checks of memory, mobility and balance. Blood tests, an ECG, scans or other tests may be arranged if they will help, and the team may involve a pharmacist, physiotherapist or occupational therapist.
Towards the end, the geriatrician brings the findings together and discusses a plan with you. This might include changes to medicines, referrals to therapy or other services, equipment or home-safety advice, further tests, and, where you wish, a conversation about future care. You should normally receive a written summary, and your GP is usually kept informed so your care joins up.
Is this appointment right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- An urgent or emergency problem, such as a suspected stroke, chest pain or acute confusion, needs emergency care, not a routine appointment.
- A single, clearly defined problem may be better dealt with by the relevant specialist or your GP.
- An assessment cannot replace ongoing day-to-day care, which usually sits with your GP and community team.
- It cannot promise to prevent decline or resolve every problem.
Delay or rearrange if…
- You are acutely unwell and need urgent assessment first.
- Key information, such as your medicines list, recent results or a relative's account, is missing and would help.
- You are in the middle of an acute illness or recent hospital stay that should settle first.
- A safeguarding or crisis concern means a more urgent response is needed.
Alternatives to discuss
- A review with your own GP, who knows your history, for less complex issues.
- A focused referral to a single specialist for one specific problem.
- A community or hospital frailty or falls service, or a memory service, depending on the concern.
- Social-care or community-team assessment where the main needs are around support at home.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Benefits
- Looks at the whole picture rather than one problem, which can uncover treatable issues
- Can reduce unnecessary or harmful medicines through a careful review
- Can improve safety and independence by addressing falls, mobility and home risks
- Builds a plan around your own goals and wishes, including planning ahead if you want
- Helps coordinate care between specialists, your GP and community services
Risks & complications
- A long appointment that can be tiring, especially covering many topics
- Emotional discomfort discussing memory, independence, loss or future care
- Being asked personal questions and to do simple memory or mobility checks
- Needing further tests or appointments before a full plan is clear
- Uncertainty when symptoms have several possible causes that need sorting out over time
- Adjusting to medicine changes, which can take time and need monitoring
- Findings that lead to referrals you had not expected, such as to a memory service
- Information being shared with family or carers in a way you need to agree first
- Distress if sensitive issues, such as a possible dementia, are raised
- Disagreement about driving, living arrangements or capacity that needs careful handling
- A safeguarding concern coming to light that the team must act on
The main limitations are that an assessment cannot fix everything, some problems take time and further tests to understand, and conversations about memory, independence and future care can be emotionally hard. Confidentiality, consent to share information with family, and questions of mental capacity all need careful, respectful handling. Ask who will see the summary, what the plan involves, and how changes to medicines will be monitored.
Published figures to discuss
A consultation is not a procedure, so there are no procedural complication rates to quote. The evidence on comprehensive geriatric assessment shows benefits in certain settings, for example reducing the chance of decline and helping older people admitted to hospital as an emergency stay living at home, but outcomes depend heavily on the individual, the setting and how the plan is followed. We therefore describe value and limitations qualitatively rather than attaching fixed percentages.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple long-term conditions in older patients | Common; the norm rather than the exception in geriatric clinics | Single-disease plans can conflict, so priorities and treatment burden need explicit discussion. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Polypharmacy and medicine-related harm | Common, especially with 10 or more regular medicines | A medication review is a core part of geriatric assessment, not an optional extra. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Delirium, falls, immobility or continence problems being missed | Common frailty syndromes | The consultation should ask about function, cognition, mood, home circumstances and carers as well as diagnoses. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Safeguarding or carer strain | Uncommon in any single consultation but high impact | Good care creates space to discuss neglect, coercion, financial pressure and carer burnout. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
What happens afterwards
There is nothing to recover from physically. Afterwards is about putting the agreed plan into action, attending any tests or referrals, and reviewing how changes, especially to medicines, are working.
- Feeling tired or emotional after a long, wide-ranging appointment
- Taking time to take in the plan and any new information
- A settling-in period when medicines are changed, with monitoring
- Waiting for referrals or tests before the full picture is clear
Aftercare
- Follow the agreed plan, including any changes to your medicines, and ask if anything is unclear.
- Attend any tests, therapy or referrals that are arranged.
- Keep an up-to-date medicines list and share the summary with your GP and other clinicians.
- Use any equipment or home-safety advice provided to reduce falls and stay independent.
- Tell the team if a medicine change causes problems, rather than stopping on your own.
- Involve a trusted family member or carer in the plan if that helps you.
- Note any questions or changes in your health to raise at the review.
- All medicines or an up-to-date list ready to bring
- Glasses, hearing aids and walking aids brought along
- Main concerns and personal goals written down
- Recent falls, memory or mood changes noted
- Relevant letters and recent results gathered
- A family member or carer arranged if wanted
- A way to contact the team with questions after the appointment
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- Sudden confusion or a marked change in alertness (possible delirium)
- A fall causing injury, or repeated falls
- Chest pain, breathlessness, or a suspected stroke (face, arm or speech changes) — seek emergency help
- A bad reaction to a medicine change, such as dizziness, fainting or feeling very unwell
- Rapidly worsening mobility, swallowing or ability to cope at home
- Thoughts of self-harm, or being unable to keep yourself safe
Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
A good outcome is a clear, shared plan that reflects your goals and may improve your wellbeing, independence and safety, for example through better-managed medicines, support for mobility and falls, and the right referrals. Some of this is agreed at the appointment, with a written summary to follow.
An assessment cannot promise to solve every problem or to prevent decline, and some questions need further tests or time to answer. Its value is in seeing the whole picture, focusing on what matters to you, and coordinating care, rather than in a single result or cure.
A plan from a geriatric consultation is a snapshot in time and needs reviewing as your health, medicines and circumstances change. Some recommendations, such as medicine changes or therapy, take weeks to show their effect and may need adjusting. Because needs in later life can change quickly, regular review and good links with your GP and community services matter more than a one-off assessment.
Related tests, treatments or support
A geriatric consultation often works alongside other care: your GP, hospital specialists, pharmacists, therapists and community or social services. It may lead to referrals, such as to a memory service, falls service or community team, and it can be combined with planning ahead for future care where you wish. The assessment aims to pull these threads together rather than replace them.
Follow-up & long-term care
Follow-up depends on your needs. You should receive a written summary, and your GP is usually kept informed. There may be a review appointment to check how the plan and any medicine changes are working, and referrals to therapy or other services are arranged as needed. You should be told who to contact if your health changes or if a medicine change causes problems before the review.
- Regular review of your medicines as your health changes
- Ongoing falls prevention, mobility and home-safety measures
- Keeping your medicines list and care summary up to date
- Periodic reassessment as needs change, with your GP and specialist team
- Revisiting future-care wishes over time if you want to
Repeat, follow-on and what comes next
- An assessment is a snapshot; the plan needs reviewing and adjusting as your health and circumstances change.
- Some problems need further tests or time before they are understood.
- Medicine changes are often trialled and then reviewed, and may need further adjustment.
- A diagnosis, such as a memory problem, may become clearer only after further assessment over time.
Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.
What good aftercare looks like
- A clear, written summary shared with you and your GP, setting out the plan and reasons.
- A named contact route for questions, especially if a medicine change causes problems.
- Monitoring of medicine changes and a planned review as your needs change.
- Joined-up referrals to therapy, memory or community services, and respect for your goals and wishes.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- The length and depth of the appointment, which is often longer than a standard consultation
- Whether a wider team (pharmacist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist) is involved
- Any tests arranged, such as blood tests, an ECG or scans
- The complexity of your medical history and medicines
- Follow-up appointments and the time spent writing reports or letters
- Any referrals to therapy, memory or other services
- The consultant's fee and the expected length of the appointment
- Whether any tests are included or charged separately
- Whether input from other team members is included
- Follow-up appointments and reports or letters
- What happens, and what it costs, if further tests or referrals are needed
- How private care will be coordinated with your GP and NHS services
On the NHS? Specialist assessment in geriatric medicine is a core part of NHS care for older people; private care may be used for a longer appointment, more choice or a second opinion, and is best coordinated with your GP.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- Not agreeing in advance who can be told about your health, especially with family or carers.
- Changing medicines without clearly explaining why and how they will be monitored.
- Not exploring your own goals and wishes, including about future care.
- Raising sensitive issues, such as capacity or driving, without sensitivity or a plan.
- No written summary or unclear arrangements for follow-up.
Marketing red flags
- Promising to prevent ageing, decline or dementia, or to 'optimise' health with no clear basis.
- Selling extensive tests or scans as a routine part of a check without good reason.
- Implying a single private assessment can replace ongoing GP and community care.
- Not coordinating with your GP, risking duplicated or conflicting advice.
Choosing a specialist safely
- Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
- You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.
- Can we review all my medicines and stop any that are no longer helping?
- What is causing my falls or unsteadiness, and what can reduce the risk?
- Should my memory or mood be assessed further, and where?
- What does the plan involve, and who will see the written summary?
- How will any medicine changes be monitored, and who do I contact if there are problems?
- Can we talk about my goals and, if I want, planning ahead for the future?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the specialist who carries out my appointment, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this appointment not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
Is a geriatric medicine consultation available on the NHS or only privately?
What is the difference between this and seeing my GP?
Will my medicines be changed?
Should I bring someone with me?
Will memory and future care be discussed?
Will this prevent me from getting worse?
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How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: British Geriatrics Society — Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) Hub British Geriatrics Society — CGA Toolkit for Primary Care NICE — Multimorbidity: clinical assessment and management (NG56) NICE — Medicines optimisation (NG5) Age UK — Information and advice for older people
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
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