Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment

What Is a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment?

A Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is a structured, holistic review of an older person's medical, functional and social circumstances. Rather than treating each problem separately, it looks at how physical health, cognition, medications, mood, mobility and environment affect one another - and what can be done to improve them together.

This whole-person approach is a recognised way of assessing older people with complex needs, defined by the British Geriatrics Society as combining a physical, functional, social and psychological review with a full medication check and a shared care plan [1]. It matters because, as we get older, frailty, several long-term conditions, medication side effects and reduced mobility often interact - each one making the others harder to manage, and none easily separated from the whole.

At LivingCare, we offer a CGA for older adults whose health has become increasingly difficult to manage, where there has been an unexplained deterioration, or where existing reviews have not fully addressed the complexity of their needs. It sits at the heart of our geriatric and memory service in Sheffield.

What the Assessment Includes

A full assessment with one of our consultants typically covers:

• A detailed review of all current medical conditions and how they interact
• A comprehensive medication review - identifying drugs that may be unnecessary, harmful or contributing to symptoms
• Assessment of cognitive function, mood and mental wellbeing
• Evaluation of mobility, gait, balance and falls risk
• A review of nutritional status and any weight changes
• Assessment of functional ability and independence in daily activities
• Discussion of the home environment, social support and carer needs
• Consideration of further investigations where these would help

At the end, our consultant provides a clear summary of the findings and a practical, prioritised plan - shared with you, your family and your GP. Where memory or cognition is a particular concern, the assessment can include a formal memory assessment, carried out in line with national dementia guidance [3].

Who May Benefit from a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment?

A CGA is particularly helpful for older adults who are experiencing:

• Frailty, reduced strength or increasing fatigue
• Unintentional weight loss or a reduced appetite
• Recurrent hospital admissions without a clear explanation
• Growing dependence on others for everyday tasks
• Several long-term conditions being managed by different specialists
• A recent, unexplained decline in physical or mental wellbeing
• Concerns about managing safely at home

Falls are a common reason for referral - more than 1 in 3 people over 65 have a fall each year [2] - and a CGA often uncovers the interacting causes behind them. Where falls or unsteadiness are the main concern, our falls and dizziness assessment may be the right place to start.

What to Expect

We offer the assessment in two settings, so care fits around the person.

In clinic: You will be seen at our Sheffield clinic (Canon Medical Arena). The consultant takes a full history, reviews your medications and carries out the relevant physical, cognitive and functional checks. It helps to bring a current list of medications and, where possible, a family member or carer who knows the day-to-day picture.

At home: For people who find travel difficult, a home visit lets the consultant assess mobility, safety and independence in the setting that matters most - the place you actually live. Seeing the home environment often reveals practical steps that make a real difference.

Either way, the assessment is unhurried. You will leave with a clear summary of the findings and a prioritised plan, and we will write to your GP so everyone involved is working from the same picture.

Why Choose LivingCare for Geriatric Assessment in Sheffield

Older people's health is rarely simple, and it deserves proper time. Our consultant-led geriatric assessment in Sheffield gives you an unhurried, whole-person review rather than another appointment for a single problem.

Access is straightforward: self-pay, with no GP referral needed, and no long wait for a specialist opinion. You can be seen in clinic at Canon Medical Arena or, where travel is difficult, at home across Sheffield and the surrounding area.

Above all, we treat the whole person - joining up the medical, mental and practical threads that a single-speciality review can miss, and turning them into a plan you and your family can act on.

Ready to arrange an assessment? Book your consultation with our geriatric medicine team.

References

1. British Geriatrics Society - Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Toolkit for Primary Care Practitioners: https://www.bgs.org.uk/resources/resource-series/comprehensive-geriatric-assessment-toolkit-for-primary-care-practitioners
2. NHS England - Frailty resources: https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/clinical-policy/older-people/frailty/frailty-resources/
3. NICE - NG97: Dementia: assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97