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Visitor Information

We strive to ensure that all visitors of patients of Åܹ·ÂÛ̳ Hospital enjoy reasonable visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences and subject to the Hospital’s justified clinically necessary restrictions. The Hospital recognizes the importance of visitation to our patients, their families and friends and has developed these guidelines to assure that patients and their visitors achieve a positive visitation experience without compromising patient care, confidentiality and security.

Scope

This policy applies to the Hospital, its physicians and clinical staff members and all Hospital personnel involved in the decision-making process with respect to patient visitation.

Definitions

Justified Clinical Restrictions - means any clinically necessary or reasonable restriction or limitation imposed by the Hospital on a patient’s visitation rights which is necessary to provide safe care to the patient or to other patients. A justified clinical restriction may include, but need not be limited to one or more of the following:

- A court order limiting or restraining contact

- Behavior presenting a direct risk or threat to the patient, Hospital staff or others in the immediate environment

- Behavior disruptive of the functioning of the patient care unit

- Reasonable limitations on the number of visitors at any one time

- Risk of patient being infected by visitor

- Risk of visitor being infected by patient

- Extraordinary protections because of a pandemic or infectious disease outbreak

- Substance abuse treatment protocols requiring restricted visitation

- Patient’s need for privacy or rest

- Need for privacy or rest by another individual in the patient’s shared room

- When patient is undergoing a clinical intervention or procedure and the treating health care professional believes it is in the patient’s best interest to limit visitation during the clinical intervention or procedure

Patient - means anyone admitted to the Hospital as an inpatient, outpatient or emergency room patient of the hospital.

Support Person - means a family member, friend or other individual who is at the Hospital to support the patient during the course of the patient’s stay at the Hospital and may exercise the patient’s visitation rights on the patient’s behalf if the patient is unable to do so. Such individual may, but need not be, an  individual legally responsible for making medical decisions on the patient’s behalf.

Policy

Statement of Patient Visitation Rights. Prior to care being provided, the Hospital shall inform each patient at the time he or she is informed of his or her other rights (or his or her Support Person, where appropriate) in writing of:

- Patient’s visitation rights

- Patient’s right to receive the visitors whom he or she designates, including, but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same sex domestic partner), another family member, or a friend

- Patient’s right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time

- Justified clinical restrictions which may be imposed on a patient’s visitation rights

All visitors designated by the patient, or support person where appropriate, shall enjoy visitation privileges that are no more restrictive than those that immediate family members would enjoy.

Inappropriate behavior or refusal to follow hospital policies and rules can compromise patient health and safety and may result in visitors being asked to vacate the premises.

Selection of Visitors. The Hospital shall accept verbal confirmation from a patient regarding individuals who should be admitted as visitors of the patient and individuals who should be denied visitation rights. The Hospital may record such information in the patient’s record for future reference. In the event the patient is a minor, the legal parent of the minor shall be given the opportunity to verbally designate the individuals permitted to visit the minor patient.

Selection of a Support Person. A patient may verbally designate a support person to exercise the patient’s visitation rights on his or her behalf, should the patient be unable to do so. Upon such designation by a patient, the legal status of the relationship between the patient and the designated support person shall be irrelevant. This designation of an individual as the patient’s support person, however, does not extend to medical decision making. In the event the patient is unable to exercise his or her patient visitation rights the Hospital shall recognize the support person’s verbal directive as to who should be admitted as visitors of the patient and individuals  who should denied visitations rights with respect to such patient.

Incapacitated Patients. In the event a patient is unable to select visitors due to incapacitation and such patient has not designated a support person to exercise the patient’s visitation rights, the Hospital may consider the following non-exhaustive forms of proof to establish the appropriateness of a visitor or to designate a support person for the incapacitated patient when two or more individuals claim to be the incapacitated patient’s support person capable of exercising the patient’s visitation rights:

- An advance directive naming the individual as a support person, approved visitor, or designated decision-maker(regardless of the state in which the directive is established)

- Spouse

- Majority of adult children

 -Shared residence

- Shared ownership of a property or business

- Financial interdependence

- Existence of a legal relationship (may be a legal relationship recognized in another jurisdiction, even if not recognized in the Hospital’s jurisdiction, including: parent-child, civil union, marriage, or domestic partnership)  

- Acknowledgement of a committed relationship (e.g., an affidavit), or

- Written documentation of the patient’s chosen individual(s) even if it is not a legally recognized advance directive

Justified Clinical Restriction on Patient’s Visitation Rights. The Hospital may impose justified clinical restrictions on a patient’s visitation rights.  When restricting visitation rights, the Hospital shall explain to the patient (or support person applicable) the reasons for the restrictions or limitations on the patient’s visitation rights and how the Hospital’s visitation policies are aimed at protecting the health and safety of all patients.

The Hospital shall not restrict, limit or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.                                                                                                      

Grievance.   If any patient of the Hospital believes that his or her patient visitation rights have been violated, they may file a complaint using the Hospital's internal grievance system.

Enforcement/Compliance.  All health care staff and employees are responsible for the enforcement of this policy. Employees visiting patients are also subject to the information listed in this document.

SWING BED VISITATION POLICY

Standard of Care:  Physical separation from family and other loved ones may take a physical and emotional toll on patients. However, swing bed patients, like nursing facility residents, may be particularly vulnerable and, as such, require that additional precautions be taken to ensure their safety.

Policy:  A swing bed patient has the right to receive visitors of his or her choosing at the time of his or her choosing, and in a manner that does not impose on the rights of another patient, such as a clinical or safety restriction.

- Hospital visiting hours are 8:00 a.m.– 9:00 p.m. Swing bed patients may have visitors outside of these hours; however, care should be taken to ensure that the rights of other patients are not infringed upon, especially in situations in which a room is shared with another patient.

- The hospital must provide immediate access to a swing bed patient by immediate family and other relatives, subject to the patient’s right to deny or withdraw consent at any time.

- The hospital must provide immediate access to a swing bed patient by other visitors with the consent of the patient, subject to reasonable clinical and safety restrictions and the patient’s right to deny or withdraw consent at any time.

- In order to promote safety, it is encouraged that patients have no more than two (2) visitors at a time. An exception to this general policy will be made for end-of-life situations on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Medical Director.

- One (1) family member may stay in the patient’s room overnight, but may not sleep in the bed with the patient. Overnight stays should be limited, but an exception to this general policy may be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Medical Director.

- Visits should be as quiet as possible to avoid disturbing other patients.

- Food, drinks, or medication(s) should not be brought in by visitors.

- The hospital will take infection control precautions in order to protect patients and staff members. The hospital may require visitors to have their temperatures taken, answer questions regarding potential infection exposure or symptoms, wear face coverings or masks (covering nose and mouth) and practice appropriate hand hygiene (preferably using alcohol-based hand sanitizer).

- The Medical Director may make exceptions to the Swing Bed Visitation Policy if, in his medical judgment, he deems it necessary to protect patients and/or staff.