Previously North St Ives Medical PracticeWho's on your team?
Six things the research says help us age well, the people close to home who can help, and your GP at the centre of it all.
Join us on Friday 20 November.
A relaxed morning on what helps us stay well, independent and connected after 75, and who can help along the way. Bring your questions, and someone who helps look after you if you like.
Places are limited, so please let us know you are coming.
- When
- Friday 20 November, 10.30am to 12pm
- Where
- St Ives Doctors, Shop 11, St Ives Plaza, 351 Mona Vale Road. Two hours free parking.
- Cost
- Free, with a light morning tea
- The talk
- Dr Caroline Scarman, Clinical Lead GP
- In conversation
- Andrew Clark, physiotherapist, Clinical Physiotherapy
Minh Tran, credentialed pharmacist
Dr Miranda Say, clinical neuropsychologist
Kristal Fabillar, Managing Director, Nurse Next Door Ku-ring-gai - Special guest
- Matt Cross MP, Member for Davidson
Your GP at the centre.
Ageing well is rarely one thing. It is strength and balance, a sharp mind, the right protection, the right medicines and help at home when you need it.
Your GP is your first port of call and the coordinator of your care, bringing in the right people when needed. Explore each step below, then take the one that suits you.
The same doctor, year after year.
up to 28% fewer emergency and hospital visits for older Australians who kept seeing their usual GP
25% lower risk of death for people who had seen the same GP for 15 years or more
Small steps
- Choose one GP as your partner in ageing well.
- Register with MyMedicare, so your care has a home.
- Make us your home practice. If your GP is away when something urgent comes up, another of our doctors can step in with your full record.
How we can help
Our GPs look after older patients every day, each with their own areas of special interest. Once a year from 75, a longer health assessment takes stock of the whole picture.
Meet our doctorsDr Caroline Scarman75+ health assessmentBook a 75+ health assessmentAbout MyMedicare
Strong and steady.
23% fewer falls with balance exercise, across 108 trials
Strength, balance and confidence fade together, and all three can be rebuilt at any age.
Small steps
- Move for 30 minutes most days. Walking counts.
- Add balance work: tai chi, a class or exercises at home.
- Know your bones. From 70, a bone density scan shows how strong they are.
If a scan shows thinning bones, treatment to strengthen them can lower your risk of a fracture. We give it here, as an injection or yearly infusion, with no hospital visit.
Close to home
The individualised "Strong Bones" Program at Clinical Physiotherapy, in our shopping village, is designed to reduce falls and fracture risk. Group Strength classes run multiple times a day. With a GP care plan, up to five physio visits a year attract a Medicare rebate.
Clinical Physiotherapy, Shop 5, St Ives Plaza · (02) 8319 3642. Independently owned and run.
Look after your brain.
45% of dementia is linked to 14 things we can influence across life, from blood pressure and activity to hearing and company
It is never too early, or too late. What is good for your heart, your body and your friendships is good for your brain.
Small steps
- Keep moving, keep learning, and keep good company.
- Keep blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar in check.
- Look after your hearing and eyesight, and mention any change in memory early.
Close to home
Your GP can talk through your brain health. If a closer look would help, Dr Miranda Say, clinical neuropsychologist, sees patients here alongside your GP. A Brain Health Review begins with an hour together, and gives you a clear picture of how your memory and thinking are working, practical strategies for daily life, and guidance for your family.
Ask your GP for a referral. Assessments are privately billed, with no Medicare rebate, and we explain the fees before you book.
A vaccine that may protect memory.
20% fewer new dementia diagnoses over seven years among people in Wales who had the shingles vaccine
A date-of-birth cut-off decided who could have it, making a rare natural experiment. Not yet proof of cause and effect, but a striking result.
Free vaccines, if you are eligible
- Shingles
- 65 and over, two doses
- Flu
- 65 and over, every year
- Pneumococcal
- 70 and over
- RSV
- 75 and over (new)
- COVID-19
- Every six months from 75
Done here, by our nurses
Up to date, or not sure? We check your record and give the vaccines that are due, often on the same day. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are eligible earlier.
Fewer, better medicines.
250,000 hospital admissions a year in Australia from problems with medicines. At least half are thought to be preventable.
Small steps
- Keep an up-to-date list of your medicines, including vitamins, complementary medicines and creams.
- Taking five or more medicines, recently out of hospital, or noticing side effects? Ask your GP about a free Home Medicines Review.
- Think some of your medicines may no longer be needed? Don't stop them yourself. A Home Medicines Review can check safely with your GP.
Close to home
With a GP referral, Minh Tran, credentialed pharmacist, visits you at home to review your medicines. It helps if you are not sure what all your medicines are for, or are still taking medicines you started years ago. Your needs change over time, and a pharmacist can check each one is still the best choice for you.
Help at home, when you need it.
Leaving hospital is a handover. A little planning makes the first weeks home safer and calmer, and the right support helps you stay in your own home for longer.
- Before you leave hospital
- Ask for your discharge summary to be sent to your GP, and for your medicines list to be checked.
- In the first week
- See your GP to go through what changed, your medicines, and the follow-up you need.
- At home
- Nurse Next Door Ku-ring-gai, from our Health Hub, offers nursing, support after hospital, personal care and companionship, dementia care, and guidance on Support at Home through My Aged Care.
Working with your GP
Your GP shares what matters with the Nurse Next Door team, and they keep your GP in the loop. Walk in to the Health Hub for a free conversation, or call 1300 600 247.
Nurse Next Door Ku-ring-gai is independently owned and sets its own fees. My Aged Care: 1800 200 422.
Know your skin.
2 in 3 Australians are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer before the age of 70
Sun damage builds over a lifetime, so checks matter more with age. Found early, skin cancers are usually simpler to treat.
Small steps
- Get to know your skin, and watch for new or changing spots.
- Cover up, and use sunscreen on exposed skin every day.
- Ask your GP how often a full skin check suits you.
How we can help
Full skin checks, and most procedures, are done here at the practice. Book a skin check online or at our front desk.
Six conversations worth having.
Bring these to your next appointment. Your GP will welcome them.
- Do I have a plan for my ongoing conditions, and is it up to date?
- Am I at risk of a fall, and what would make me steadier on my feet?
- Could anything in my health be affecting my memory or thinking?
- Which vaccines am I due for this year, including shingles and RSV?
- Are all my medicines still right for me, or could some be reduced or changed?
- When was my skin last checked, and how often should it be?
Is it time for a next step?
Pick the one that fits. Most begin with a conversation with your GP.
Home Medicines Review
Five or more medicines, recently out of hospital, or side effects.
Ask your GP for a referralReserve your place.
The talk is free, with a light morning tea. Places are limited, so please register for each person coming. We will confirm your place by phone or email.
Would rather call? Ring the front desk on (02) 9144 7340.
We use your details only to manage your place and contact you about this event.
Thank you, we have your RSVP.
We will be in touch to confirm your place. We look forward to seeing you on Friday 20 November at 10.30am.
Start with a conversation with your GP.
Our Well Connected morning was held on 20 November. Ask at the front desk for a copy of the brochure, or book a time with your GP to talk through any of the steps on this page.
Sources: Registry of Senior Australians, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2026; Sandvik et al., British Journal of General Practice, 2022; Sherrington et al., Cochrane Review, 2019; Livingston et al., The Lancet, 2024; Eyting et al., Nature, 2025; National Immunisation Program; Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Medicine Safety: Take Care, 2019; Cancer Council Australia. General information only. Talk to your GP about your own situation.
Ready when you are.
Book online at any time, or call the front desk during opening hours.