Visitation

 

Policy Statement

Our facility permits residents to receive visitors subject to the resident’s wishes and the protection of the rights of other residents in the facility.

Policy Interpretation and Implementation

  1. Education for visitors will include core principles of infection control, screening process, and appropriate use of personal protective equipment.
  2. No restrictions will be made on length of visits and/or numbers of visitors, space will be provided.
  3. Facility Charge nurse will be designated as the person responsible for ensuring that staff adhere to the policies and procedures.
  4. The facility will not require visitors to submit proof of any vaccination or immunization. Visitors are allowed consensual physical contact between a resident, client, or patient.
  5. A resident, client, or patient may designate a visitor who is a family member, friend, guardian, or other individual as an essential caregiver. The provider must allow in-person visitation by the essential caregiver for at least 2 hours daily in addition to any other visitation authorized by the provider. This section does not require an essential caregiver to provide necessary care to a resident, client, or patient of a provider, and providers may not require an essential caregiver to provide such care.
  6. The facility allows in-person visitation in all of the following circumstances, unless the resident, client, or patient objects:
    • End-of-life situations.
    • A resident, client, or patient who was living with family before being admitted to the provider ‘ s care is struggling with the change in environment and lack of in-person family support.
    • The resident, client, or patient is making one or more major medical decisions.
    • A resident, client, or patient is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died.
    • A resident, client, or patient needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family member or caregiver.
    • A resident, client, or patient who used to talk and interact with others is seldom speaking.
    • For hospitals, childbirth, including labor and delivery.
    • Pediatric patients.
  7. A visitor may be required in writing to follow the provider’s policies and procedures. A provider may suspend in-person visitation of a specific visitor if the visitor violates the provider’s policies and procedures.
  8. The facility will provide their visitation policies and procedures to the agency when applying for initial licensure, licensure renewal, or change of ownership. The provider will make the visitation policies and procedures available to the agency for review at any time, upon request.
  9. Within 24 hours after establishing the policies and procedures required under this section, the facility will make such policies and procedures easily accessible from the homepage of their websites.
  10. Residents are permitted to have visitors of their choosing at the time of their choosing.
  11. The facility provides 24-hour access to individuals visiting with the consent of the resident.
  12. Some visitation may be subject to reasonable restrictions that protect the safety, security and/or rights of the facility’s residents such as:
    • denying or providing limited supervised visits from persons who are known or suspected to be abusing, exploiting or coercive to the resident; until an investigation into the allegation has been completed;
    • denying access to individuals who are found to have committed criminal acts;
    • denying access to visitors who are inebriated or disruptive; and/or
    • protecting residents from a community-associated infection or communicable disease outbreak in the community.
  1. Visitors may include, but are not limited to:
    • spouses (including same-sex and transgender spouses);
    • domestic partners (including same-sex and transgender domestic partners);
    • other family members; and
    • friends
  2. The facility does not restrict visitors based on the request of family members or the healthcare power of attorney. If a family member (or HPOA) requests that a certain individual be denied access to resident based on safety or security concerns, the staff will protect resident safety while allowing visitor access until the allegations are investigated.
  3. Residents, family and/or resident representatives are informed upon admission of their visitation rights, and related policies.
  4. Residents are permitted to visit with representatives from federal and state survey agencies, resident advocates, the state long-term care ombudsman, protection and advocacy agencies for individuals with developmental disabilities or mental illness, clergy and/or their personal physicians at any time. Space and privacy are provided for such visits.
  5. Visitors are never denied, restricted or limited on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. All visitors are given full and equal visitation privileges consistent with resident preferences.
  6. Residents have the right to unrestricted, private and uncensored communication, including, but not limited to, receiving and sending unopened correspondence, access to a telephone, visiting with any person of the resident’s choice during visiting hours, and overnight visitation outside the facility with family and friends in accordance with facility policies, physician orders, and Title XVIII (Medicare)   1 and Title XIX (Medicaid)   2 of the Social Security Act regulations, without the resident’s losing his or her bed.  Facility visiting hours shall be flexible, taking into consideration special circumstances such as, but not limited to, out-of-town visitors and working relatives or friends.  Unless otherwise indicated in the resident care plan, the licensee shall, with the consent of the resident and in accordance with policies approved by the agency, permit recognized volunteer groups, representatives of community-based legal, social, mental health, and leisure programs, and members of the clergy access to the facility during visiting hours for the purpose of visiting with and providing services to any resident.