Visitation Policy

Policy: It is the policy of this community to allow residents’ access to visitors.

Policy Explanation and Guidelines:

1. Residents will be allowed visitation with any person of their choice 24 hours per day. There are no limitations to the number of visitors a resident will be allowed so long as it doesn’t interfere with the safety, privacy, or comfort of other residents.
2. Residents will be allowed consensual physical contact with their visitors.
3. Visitors will be asked to check in when with the receptionist when visiting the community.
4. Visitors will not be asked about their vaccination status or expected to provide proof of vaccination when visiting the community.
5. Residents are permitted overnight visits with family and friends outside of the community.
6. Managing admissions and residents who leave the community:
   • Pre-admission and Admission testing are at the discretion of the community.
   • Empiric use of Transmission-Based Precautions is not necessary for admissions or for residents who leave the community for less than 24 hours (e.g., for medical appointments, community outings) per CDC recommendations.
7. A resident, client, or patient may designate a visitor who is a family member, friend, guardian, or other individual as an essential caregiver. This designated essential caregiver will be allowed visitation of at least 2 hours daily in addition to any other visitation authorized by the community. This designated caregiver is not required to provide necessary care to the resident.
8. Residents will be allowed in-person visitation for any of the below outlined instances.
   • End of life
   • A resident who was living with family before being admitted to the provider’s care and is struggling with the change in environment and lack of in-person family support.
   • The resident is making one or more major medical decisions.
   • A resident is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died.
   • A resident needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family member or caregiver.
   • A resident who used to talk or interact with others is seldom speaking.
9. Upon consent of the resident, visitation from recognized volunteer groups, representatives of community-based legal, social, mental health, and leisure programs, and members of the clergy will be allowed during regular visitation hours.
10. Visitation will be discouraged for residents and visitor who have been diagnosed with or are exhibiting symptoms of an infectious disease.
    • Visitors with a confirmed infectious disease such as Covid-19 or symptoms of an infectious disease should defer non-urgent in-person visitation until they have met the healthcare criteria to end isolation. In the instance visitation cannot be deferred visitors may be asked to wear PPE upon entrance to the community.
    • For visitors with close contact of someone with confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19 that put them at higher risk, it is safest to defer non-urgent in-person visitation until 10 days after their close contact.
    • Residents should be encouraged to limit in-person visitation while they are infectious.
      • Counsel Residents and their visitor(s) about the risks of in-person visitation.
      • Encourage use of alternative mechanisms for Resident and visitor interactions such as video-call applications on cell phones or tablets.
    • The community will post signs and provide education as needed, before visitors enter the Resident’s room, on hand hygiene, limiting surfaces touched, and use of PPE according to current community policy.
    • Visitors should be instructed to only visit the Resident room and limit time in common areas.
11. The community may suspend the in-person visitation of a visitor who violates the community policies and procedures.
12. The Executive Director will be responsible to ensure that staff adheres to the visitation policy and procedures.

Date created: 04/06/2022
Date reviewed: 08/09/2023