New Visitation Policy Ensures Family Reunion

VSL: 735 04/30/2022

SCOPE:

Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor is excited to announce that the Governor’s office has signed SB 988, the No Patient Left Alone Act, to guarantee Florida families the fundamental right to visit their loved ones who are receiving care in hospitals, hospices, and long-term care facilities.

POLICY:

Understanding the emotional toll of caring for a loved one, the residents of Hampton Manor will be permitted visitation as described in SB 988, unless the resident objects. We will protect and support the resident’s rights to have visitation as per regulation and the procedures set. At a minimum, the Community must allow an Essential Caregiver in-person visitation for at least 2-hours daily under the No Patient Left Alone Act. The 2-hour visitation will be between 9:00am – 9:00pm. The Community Director may make exceptions to the 2-hour visitation on a case-by-case basis for end-of-life situations. These exceptions will be discussed and agreed upon in writing by the Community Director and the Resident and/or Resident’s responsible party in advance.

PROCEDURE:

I. For designation and utilization of essential caregiver visitors. 1. Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor will provide the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) with a copy of the facility’s essential caregiver visitor’s policy and procedure, with the initial licensure application, renewal application and/or change of ownership application. 2. Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor essential caregiver visitor’s policy and procedure is available on Website Address homepage. 3. Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor will designate Staff Personnel as key staff to support infection prevention and control training. 4. Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor will set a limit on the total number of visitors allowed in the facility at any given time based on the ability of staff to safely screen and monitor and the space to accommodate the essential caregiver visitors. a.Identify locations for visitation/care to occur planning for residents in shared spaces and facilities with minimal common space to identify maximum time availability. b. Provide outdoor visitation spaces that are protected from weather elements, such as porches, courtyards, patios, or other covered areas that are protected from heat and sun, with cooling devices, if needed c. Create indoor visitation spaces for residents in a room that is not accessible by other residents or in a resident’s private room if the resident is bedbound and for health reasons cannot leave his or her room 5. All residents and/or POA/Guardian if appropriate will be asked if they want to identify an Essential Caregiver. 6. All new residents will be asked if they would like to identify an Essential Caregiver upon move-in. 7. All residents will be allowed to update as requested the named Essential Caregiver of record within 2 business days of request. 8. Residents are allowed in-person visitation in all the following circumstances, unless the resident, client, or patient objects: a) End-of-life situations. b) 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. c) The resident, client, or patient is making one or more major medical decisions. d) A resident, client, or patient is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died. e) A resident, client, or patient needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family member or caregiver. f) A resident, client, or patient who used to talk and interact with others is seldom speaking. 9. Maintain a visitor log for signing in and out. 10. No more than one essential caregiver visitor may be designated per resident. 11. The policy need NOT prohibit essential caregiver visitor visits, if the specific resident to be visited is quarantined, tested positive, or showing symptoms of a communicable disease. Visits in these circumstances will likely require a higher level of PPE than standard surgical masks. The general visitation requirement that the facility has no new facility-onset cases of a communicable disease (for example COVID-19) is not applicable to visitation by essential caregiver visitors. 12. Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor is not required to provide for “facilityprovided” COVID-19 testing if, and only if, it is based on the most recent CDC and FDA guidance. The cost of this testing cannot be passed on to the visitor. 13. 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 guidance for healthcare workers. At Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor the essential caregiver visitors shall wear the same PPE that staff wear to provide care or services to the resident. 14. Any changes to Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor essential caregiver visitor policies must be promptly communicated to affected residents and essential caregiver visitors II. To facilitate visits by Essential caregiver visitors upon a request from a resident or friend/family member: 1. The resident (or their representative) will read and sign the policy and procedures. The acknowledgement of the signature represents that the essential caregiver visitor will abide by the policies set forth in this document. 2. The essential caregiver visitor will complete training on Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor infection prevention and control including the use of PPE, use of masks, hand sanitation, and social distancing. 3. The essential caregiver visitor must immediately inform the facility if they develop symptoms consistent with a communicable disease within 24-hours of their last visit at the facility. 4. Essential caregiver visits may take place in the resident’s room or a designated area determined by Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor at the time the visitation scheduled is developed and agreed upon. III.When an essential caregiver visitor is scheduled to visit, the facility will: 1. Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor will thoroughly screen the visitor per the facility’s infection control policy and procedure and document the name of the individual, the date and time of entry, and the screening mechanism used, along with the screening employee’s name and signature. Just as with staff entering the building, if the visitor fails the screening, the visitor CANNOT be allowed entry. 2. Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor will ensure that the required consents, and training and policy acknowledgements are in place. 3. Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor will ensure that the caregiver visitor has appropriate PPE if applicable. 4. Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor will require the essential caregiver visitor to sign in and out on the visitor log. 5. Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor will monitor the essential caregiver visitor’s adherence to policies and procedures. 6. If the essential caregiver visitor fails to follow the facility’s infection prevention and control requirements, after attempts to mitigate concerns, Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor shall restrict or revoke visitation. 7. In the event the essential caregiver visitor’s status is revoked due to the individual not following the facility’s policy and procedures, the resident may select a different essential caregiver visitor who will be granted visitation rights upon proper vetting and agreeing to Virtue Senior Living/Hampton Manor’s policies and procedures.