GUIDELINES:

Compassionate care visit, a visit necessary to meet the physical or mental needs of the patient, including, but not limited to:

  1. For end-of-life situations, including making decisions regarding end-of-life care during in-person contact or communication with the compassionate care visitor;
  2. For adjustment support or communication support, including, but not limited to, assistance with hearing and speaking;
  3. For emotional support;
  4. For physical support after eating or drinking issues, including weight loss or dehydration; or
  5. For social support;

Compassionate care visits may be at least 6 hours per day & visitors may come and go.

  • 24 hour attendance by Compassionate Care Visitor when reasonably appropriate,
  • Compassionate Care Visitor may leave & return within reason,
  • May have 2 visitors simultaneously,
  • Parents with custody or unsupervised visitation rights, legal guardians & other persons standing in loco parents to be physically present with minor child while child receives care

Limitations:

If in the clinical judgement of the attending physician, the presence of visitors is medically or therapeutically contraindicated to the health or life of the patient – it must be documented in the medical record.

Facility may limit visitors –

  • At the request of the patient or resident, or the legal guardian of such;
  • At the request of a law enforcement agency for a person in custody;
  • Due to a court order;
  • To prevent substantial disruption to the care of a patient or resident or the operation of the facility;
  • During the administration of emergency care in critical situations;
  • If the person has measurable signs and symptoms of a transmissible infection; except that, the health care facility shall allow access through telephone or other means of telecommunication that ensure the protection of the patient or resident;

In respect to the presence of children:

  1. Children supervised by an adult are welcomed.  Children are not restricted by age.  Although younger children may be developmentally unable to remain with the patient for lengthy periods of time, contact with these children can be of significant importance to the patient.
  2. Children are expected to remain with the adult who is supervising them, not the patient.

Disruptive behavior and unsafe practices are not acceptable; these situations, while usually rare, will be addressed directly and promptly.

All compassion caregivers shall be free of communicable diseases and must respect the hospitals’ infection control policies. 

Clergy will be extended the courtesy of flexible visitation, providing it does not interfere with medical care/treatment.  All clergy are required to check in at the nursing desk of the appropriate unit.

Visitors arriving to the hospital after 8:00 pm will need to enter through the Emergency Department entrance.

Vendors are to check-in through the electronic DHP process.

Circumstances may allow for specific exceptions to any visitation restrictions described on this webpage. Those circumstances include religious visitation as well as a designated support person for a patient with a disability to provide assistance with communication or other necessary components of the patient's treatment. All persons entering under an exception remain subject to appropriate infection control protocols.