We Look Forward to Your Visit!

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VISITATION POLICY

1. Purpose: In-Person Visitation bill has been signed into law, creating Section 408.823, Florida Statutes titled In-person visitation and may be cited as "No Patient Left Alone Act."
2. The Community will provide the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) with a copy of the facility's visitations policy and procedure with the renewal application and/or change of ownership application. The community will make the visitation policies and procedures available to the agency for review at any time , upon request.
3.  The community will designate the Executive Director as the person responsible for ensuring staff adhere to the policies and procedures.
4.  Safety-related policies and procedures are not more stringent than those established for staff of the community and visitors are not required to provide proof of any vaccination or immunization.  This policy and procedure allows consensual physical contact between a resident and the visitor.
5.  The community recognizes residents may designate a visitor who is a family member, friend, guardian, or other individual as an essential caregiver.
6.  The community will allow in-person visitation by the essential caregiver for at least 2 hours daily in addition to any other visitation authorized. Caregivers or other visitors are not limited to 2 hours, however.
7. The community does not require an essential caregiver to provide necessary care to a resident. The designated essential caregiver will be documented in the resident's electronic medical record and updated upon the resident's request. Residents are allowed in-person visitation in all the following circumstances , unless the resident objects:
    
   1. End-of-life situations.
   2. A resident 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.
   3. The resident is making one or more major medical decisions.
   4. A resident is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died.
   5. A resident needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family member or caregiver.
   6. A resident who used to talk and interact with others is seldom speaking.
8. The community has no limit on the number of visitors per resident.  The community may limit the total number of visitors allowed in the facility at any given time based on the ability of staff to safely screen and monitor the space used to accommodate the visitors and based on adherence to the infection control protocols at the time of the visit.
9. VISITOR'S SCHEDULE:
10. The community welcomes visitors at any time.
     
    1. General visiting hours are between 9:00am-9:00pm. After 9:00pm, visitors should coordinate with staff for access.
    2. There is no limitation on the visitation length.

VISITATION SCREENING:
 

1. The community will screen the visitor per the facility's infection control policy and procedure.
    
2.  visitors will not be compelled to provide proof of vaccination or immunization status but
3.  visitors may be prohibited from entering the building if they exhibit obvious signs/symptoms of infection.

INFECTION CONTROL EDUCATION FOR VISITORS:
 

1. Visitors will be provided with education on the community's infection control precautions.
2. It is the policy of Atrium, pursuant to Rule 59 A-36.007(10), F.A.C. to provide services in a manner that reduces the risk of transmission of infectious diseases. This facility implemented an Infection Control and Hand Hygiene Program. Infection Control includes all those activities to prevent or limit the spread of diseases. Infection control measures are safety measures. Standard Precautions is the basic of Infection Control and are used for all patient care. They're based on a risk assessment and make use of common-sense practices and personal protective equipment use that protect from infection and prevent the spread of infection from patient to patient. Hand hygiene may include the use of alcohol-based rubs, antiseptic hand wash, and/or hand washing with soap and water. This is the single most important means of preventing the spread of infections in the facility.
3. Procedures  

A. Infection Control includes the following Special Precautions:  

1. Perform hand hygiene  

2. Use personal protective equipment (PPE) whenever there is an expectation of possible exposure to infectious material. Face shield or goggles, gloves, gowns, and potentially other PPE will be provided for staff and visitors. Visitors will be provided with education regarding the use of the PPE, when needed.

3. Follow respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette principles  

4. Ensure appropriate patient placement  

5. Properly handle and properly clean and disinfect patient care equipment and instruments/devices  

6. Clean and disinfects the environment appropriately  

7. Handle textiles and laundry carefully  

8. Ensure healthcare worker safety including proper handling of needles and other

B. Employee’s hands must be washed for at least 20 seconds using soap and water.  

1. Before and after the provision of personal services to residents.  

2. After contact with blood, body fluids, or visibly contaminated surfaces.  

3. After contact with objects and surfaces in the resident's environment.  

4. After removing Personal Protective Equipment (gloves, gown, facemask, enyprotection, etc.).  

5. After using the restroom.  

6. After blowing one's nose, sneezing, or coughing.  

7. Before eating or preparing food.  

8. When their hands are visibly soiled.  

9. At the beginning and the end of each shift.  

10. After contact with animals or pets.  

C. Residents and visitors should always wash their hands at least 20 seconds using soap and water (The combination of soap and water, friction and time is essential to any good hand washing procedure)  

1. Before meals.  

2. After toileting.  

D. Standard precautions must be used when there is an anticipated exposure to transmissible infectious agents in blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, nonintact skin, and mucous membranes during the provision of personal services. Standard precautions include hand hygiene, and dependent upon the exposure, the use of gloves, gown, facemask, eye protection, and/or a face shield.  

E. Provide access to alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60-95% alcohol throughout the  

facility in every resident room and common areas. If there are shortages of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, hand hygiene using liquid soap and water is still expected. Keep sinks stocked with liquid soap and disposable paper towels.  

F. Communicate to residents about what they need to do - such as social distancing, wear a cloth face covering or facemask, informing personnel immediately if they feel ill, importance of washing their hands, avoiding touching their face, and cough etiquette.  

G. Actively screening any individual that is permitted to enter for symptoms of COMMUNICABLE DISEASE.  

For those visitors permitted entry, they will be instructed to perform hand washing or sanitizing; should maintain social distancing, limit their interactions with others in the facility; restrict their visit to the resident's room or other location designated by the facility; and encourage to wear a facemask, face shield and proper PPE. Visitors will be advised to monitor for signs and symptoms of COMMUNICABLE DISEASE during or after their visit so that appropriate actions can be taken by the facility.  

H. Provide EPA-registered disinfectant so that commonly used surfaces can be wiped  

down. Routinely (at least once per shift) clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are frequently touched in common areas (door handles, faucets, toilet handles, light switches, handrails, countertops, chairs, tables, remote controls, shared electronic equipment).  

I. The facility must clean and disinfect reusable medical equipment and communal assistive devices that have been designed for use by multiple residents before and after each use according to the manufacturer's recommendations.  

J. Visitors should be aware that these safety measures are for their safety, residents' safety, and the safety of team members.  

K.  The Administrator, or designee is the staff member designated to contact with questions.  

l.  The facility asks that the visitors refrain from transporting soiled or potentially infected laundry.  

M. The facility asks that the visitors refrain from visiting when sick or when they have a communicable disease.  

N. The visitors should ask the facility's staff for assistance to avoid coming into contact with infectious materials.

Core principles for Infection Control  

1. Encourage staff, resident & visitors to remain up to date with all recommended    COMMUNICABLE DISEASE vaccine doses.  

2. Encourage staff, residents & visitors to use facemask; however, not required if there is not infection detected.  

3. Performing hand hygiene by using an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.  

4. Avoiding touching their face, and cough etiquette.  

5. Encourage residents and visitors to limit movement in the facility, if either are infected or there is an infection in the community.

6. Cleaning and disinfecting high frequency touched surfaces in the facility often, and  

disinfecting visitation areas after each visit.  

7. Don't have large gatherings.  

8. Work with our state or local Health Department when an outbreak occurs

1.  This policy does not prohibit visits if the specific resident to be visited is quarantined, tested positive, or showing symptoms of a communicable disease.
2.  Visits in these circumstances will require a higher level of Personal Protective Equipment {PPE) than standard masks.
3.  PPE will be provided to the visitor and will be in accordance with the most recent CDC guidance for healthcare workers.
4. The community does not require visitors to agree in writing to follow the visitation policies and procedures. However, if the visitor has violated the policies and procedures, the community may suspend in-person visitation for the specific individual.