Geriatrician in Sydney
Helping older people access certified specialist healthcare.
About Dr Bennett
Dr Giselle Bennett is a geriatrician working in St Leonards, Sydney providing impactful and compassionate healthcare for older people.
She graduated from Bond University, Queensland and completed a Fellowship in Geriatric Medicine from Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
Dr Bennett provides Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments (CGA) and holistic geriatric care. She has worked in geriatric units in hospital, outpatient and home visit and residential aged care settings. Currently practices at Integrated Neurology clinic and at Geriatric Care Australia.
What is a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA)?
A CGA is a diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation that addresses the complex medical, functional, emotional/psychological, and social needs of older people.
Through systematically reviewing the health and wellbeing of an older person, a CGA can facilitate early detection of treatable conditions, prevent functional or cognitive decline and deliver tailored interventions.
Dr Bennett values the core principles of geriatric medicine including person-centred care, structured assessment using validated tools, timely communication and shared-care with carers and other health professionals.
The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment involves a thorough medical review of:
Mobility including falls and fracture prevention
Medication and medical history review
Activities of daily living and cognitive function
Mental health and carer wellbeing
Vaccinations and preventive healthcare
The initial consultation is usually about one hour long and after the consult, a thorough letter is sent to the GP. If you would like copies sent to your other health professionals this can be arranged. Subsequent reviews are shorter (about half an hour long) and are even more important to further tailor the management plan to make it more effective. A CGA has a Medicare item number in Australia.
Book an appointment
Booking an appointment is easy. Ask your GP to send a referral to Dr Giselle Bennett and call to book an available time slot.
Currently, Dr Bennett's books are open.
Appointments with Dr Bennett are usually available within 7-10 days of receipt of referral.
Geriatrician reports are made available no later than 7 days post consultation.
Where does Dr Bennett practice?
Dr Bennett practices at these locations:
Integrated Neurology
Outpatient specialist clinic in St Leonards, Sydney. Aged care facility visits available.
Geriatric Care Australia
Bulk-billed Aged Care facility visits.
Integrated Neurology Clinic
Geriatric Care Australia: Aged Care Visits
How to refer
Email or call to book an appointment and ask your GP to send a referral.
GPs can refer using healthlink or email.
Dr Bennett's Hours
Integrated Neurology
Alternate Mondays: 9am - 4pm
Thursdays: 9am - 4pm
Geriatric Care Australia:
Alternate Mondays: 9am - 4pm
Tuesdays: 9am-4pm
Wednesdays: 9am-4pm
Frequently Asked Questions
Initial appointments are 60 minutes long and follow up appointments are around 30-45 minutes.
Appointments try to run on time, but where medical emergencies or unforeseen circumstances occur there is a possibility of delays or rescheduling.
Please allow for 2 hours from your appointment time as a buffer.
Geriatric medical consult fees are either covered completely or partially by Medicare rebates. This depends on what the consultation was for, whether it was an initial or follow up appointment and where the consult occurs. Pensioners also may have a reduced fee.
The consultation payment doesn't just cover the time talking with your specialist physician.
Consultation fees cover the wages of the clinic staff, rent, medical software and equipment costs, compulsory indemnity insurance, continuing medical training, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Medical Registration and Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) registration. It also covers the time it takes to write a report to your GP.
Services offered include residential aged care consults, clinic consults and telehealth consults. Follow ups are a different cost/rebate to the initial consultation.
Please contact Geriatric Care Australia and Integrated Neurology to speak to admin about current fees. Fees may differ in different practices due to different services.
Medicare rebates are available for consults for over 65s with a valid GP referral and Medicare Card or other concession card.
Dr Bennett charges below the AMA recommended rates.
The most common MBS Items (types of consultations) are 141 and 143.
Please bring your referral letter and your current medication list including patches, injections, prescribed medications and over-the-counter treatments.
It is very helpful to bring medical records (e.g. discharge summaries or letters from doctors, nurses or allied health) so that you can get an accurate holistic medical assessment by Dr Giselle Bennett.
It can be helpful to be aware of whether you have legal documents relevant to making healthcare decisions such as Power of Attorney, Enduring Guardian and Advance Care Plan forms.
Dr Bennett sends a comprehensive letter with your short and long term medical management plans to the GP no later than 1 week of the appointment.
Specific decision-making capacity assessments may only be performed on a case by case basis after an initial comprehensive geriatric assessment.
Specific Decision-Making Capacity assessments do not have Medicare rebates and have private fees.
Some situations require a neuropsychologist.
With your permission, Dr Giselle Bennett will contact your next of kin within 1 week of the appointment.
If possible, it is encouraged to bring your next of kin with you to your appointment so that your loved ones are included in your care.
Dr Bennett's geriatrician clinics are outpatient services and do not replace emergency services, hospital admissions or urgent care from a GP.
Dr Bennett can usually facilitate appointments within 7-10 days for outpatient geriatrician advice and management. Please book a sooner appointment if you think you need an updated plan.
In an emergency or immediate danger, Call 000.
For a mental health crisis, call Lifeline for 24-hour crisis support telephone service 13 11 14 or use the Lifeline chat
For emergency respite, call Carer Gateway. 1800 422 737 Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
For Aged Care Rapid Response Team at Royal North Shore Hospital for acutely unwell older people at risk of needing hospitalisation (RN and Geriatrician).
Call Monday to Friday: 8:00am to 8:00pm(excluding Public Holidays)
Lower North Shore residents: 0408 546 907
Ryde/Hunters Hill residents: 0409 460 419
Lower North Shore/Ryde/Hunters Hill: 0434 329 970
Dr Bennett specialises in making medical plans to minimise or avoid injuries and illnesses in older people, so if you have recently had a medical issue or are gradually developing issues it may be worth seeing Dr Bennett after the acute emergency or hospitalisation to follow up.