Visitation Policy and Procedures

Purpose:

It is our policy to ensure safe visitation to our residents consistent with the resident “Bill of Rights” F.S. 429.28. In addition to educate employees and visitors of residents on procedures related to infection control.

Policy:

The following are the procedures to be followed to identify essential caregivers for residents and the expectations. These procedures will be administered equally to all residents that request to have an essential caregiver, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and transgender status), age, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Essential caregiver visitors provide emotional support to help a resident deal with a difficult transition or loss, upsetting event, major medical decisions, needs cueing to eat and drink, stops speaking, or end of life. Essential caregiver visitors may be allowed entry into the facility on a limited basis for these specific purposes.

Procedures:
  1. The administrator Andrea Caine is designated as the person responsible for ensuring that employees adhere to the visitation policies and procedures.
  2. Residents may also designate a visitor who is a family member, friend, guardian, or other individual as an essential caregiver. The essential caregiver is allowed to have in-person visitation for at least 2 hours daily in addition to any other visitation authorized by the Facility but does not have to provide necessary care.
  3. The Facility will respect the right of the resident to determine the number of visitors he/she would like to have at any given time during the 9am-9pm visiting hours.
  4. A staff member is designated to support infection control and prevention by providing information on the visitation policy to the visitors and check temperature.
  5. All visitors will be directed to the PPE set-up table.
    1. All essential caregivers and visitors will be required to wear a surgical mask. And other appropriate PPE for the duration of their visit as permitted by the facility and CDC guidelines.
    2. The facility will provide education on infection control, and this will be by providing hand handouts. Each visitor will be instructed to properly wash and or sanitize hands. Hand sanitizer is provided upon entry and before and after resident contact. A poster on hand washing, cough etiquette is posted throughout.
    3. All areas that are required to be disinfected will be thoroughly cleaned before disinfected.
    4. Thermometers will be wiped with alcohol pad after each use.
  6. Visitations are from 9am-9pm, at a minimum. Visitors requesting to come any other time must make arrangements with the administrator or designee in advance.
  7. The Facility will not require visitors to provide proof of vaccination or immunization status.
  8. All visitors must sign in/out.
  9. Consensual physical contact between patients and their loved ones will not be restricted.
  10. Visits are done throughout the building.
  11. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times.
  12. All visitors will be asked to agree in writing to follow this policy.
  13. The administrator or designee may suspend in-person visitation of a specific visitor in case of violation of the provider’s policy and procedures on visitation.
  14. Essential caregiver visitors must wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) per facility’s infection control policies. The PPE required must be consistent with the most recent CDC guidelines for healthcare workers. At Sweet Home at Last the essential caregiver visitors shall wear the same PPE that staff wears to provide care or services to the resident.
  15. Any changes to Sweet Home at Last essential caregiver policies must be promptly communicated to the affected residents and essential caregiver visitors.