Assisted Living Health Care Services

Before moving in, The Herrick House requires physician orders as well as a history and physical from the primary care physician before you move in. (If you have an existing relationship with your physician, these forms can typically be filled out by the physician without having to see you again.) We can help you gather this critical information.

These forms become part of the resident’s chart in the Wellness Center. They contain historical information our nurses need to understand your medical background. It also provides a care plan for our nurses to follow pertaining to medications, treatments, laboratory (and other) orders, allergies and special diets.

If the resident selects our medical coordination option and our staff determines they could benefit from visiting nurse, physical therapy or geriatric psychiatric services, we will contact the resident's primary care physician to get a referral for the appropriate services.

Once a referral is made, nursing staff works with local agencies to coordinate services. In the case of geriatric psychiatry services, a social worker, working with the nursing staff, will make the appropriate arrangements. This could include making an appointment with the geriatric psychiatric nurse practitioner or social worker from the Center for Healthy Aging or, if needed, an inpatient stay at a local psychiatric unit.

Our affiliation with Beverly Hospital allows you to receive laboratory services here at The Herrick House. Lab staff provide blood draws and other services in the privacy of your apartment, making things easy and convenient for you.

As needed, our nurses contact your doctor’s office to arrange medical appointments. We can coordinate transportation from The Herrick House, as well.

We send your medication and treatment record, along with a blank physician’s order sheet, with you to your appointment. This enables the doctor to make any changes or send new orders back so our nurses can implement them right away.

Our nurses make sure prescriptions from your doctor are filled or refilled. This means you never have to worry about running out of your medicine or rushing to get new medication if your doctor makes a change.

We order medication in unit-dose packaging and have an established relationship with a local pharmacy. However, we’re happy to use the pharmacy of your choice.

As part of our wellness program, weekly blood pressure and weight checks are available. If your doctor requests more frequent checks, we’re happy to do that, as well. We log all results in your chart and make them available to your doctor.