What is the goal of the consultation?

The goal of the consultation is to provide an independent, in-depth assessment of a specific condition or general concern; review current care plans; provide advice about evaluation and management of the condition or concern; and, if appropriate, obtain additional tests for further evaluation.

How do I make an appointment?

All new patients must be referred to our office. Please obtain a referral from your primary care provider (PCP) or general practitioner (GP). Your insurance may not require a referral, but we do require a professional clinical referral so that we receive your medical records ahead of time and can better know who you are and how we can help. The referral should be sent to Cooley Dickinson Geriatrics by fax to 413-321-2261. Allow 2 weeks for our office to receive and process the referral. We will call you as we are able to schedule your appointment.

Please know that we do have a waiting list of more than 3 months for new patients at this time. We do use a cancellation list and will contact you if a sooner appointment becomes available.

Is a Geriatric Consultation covered under Medicare Part B and other insurance plans?

If you have standard Medicare, it will usually cover your evaluation at the same level that insurance covers your office visits.

If you are insured by any kind of managed Medicare plan you will need a referral from your primary care physician. Please check your specific policy before arranging for this appointment as you will be responsible for any uncovered portion of this service.

What can I expect at the consultation?

The initial 90 minute New Patient Consultation consists of a complete medical and social history, an examination, discussion about the findings and development of a plan. Because of the complexity of some situations, patients may be asked to return for follow up visits to complete the consultation process.

Who can come to the appointment?

Family or other concerned individuals are invited to participate so that a complete picture of the patient’s current situation can be obtained. It is very helpful to have family or caregivers present who will be assisting in the implementation of the treatment plan.

What should be done to prepare for the appointment?

Because the consultant has a limited amount of time to spend with the patient and the patient’s situation may be very complicated, it is very important that the patient or family caregiver:

• Arrange for medical records to be made available in advance for the physician to review
• Send or bring copies of discharge summaries from any recent hospitalization, a summary of recent events from the primary care practice or other specialists, and documentation of any special testing that has been completed
• Bring an up-to-date medication list or bring all the medication bottles for the physician to review during the visit
• Complete the forms enclosed in the packet that was mailed to you describing the patient’s current status and concerns

Having this information available for the consultation will allow the doctor to focus on the patient and family concerns.

What kind of report will the geriatrician develop?

Depending on the nature of the problem, the consultant will provide a report that includes the patient’s history, physical examination and recommendations. This report will be sent to the patient’s primary care provider, who will work with the consultant to implement the recommendations. The consultant will be available to the patient’s provider to help with patient care around the issues of concern. The patient’s primary care provider will continue to be responsible for long-term care of the patient.