Grant Memorial Hospital allows one support person, family member, friend or other individual to be present with the patient for emotional support during the course of hospital stay or outpatient visit. Grant Memorial will not necessarily restrict patient visitation but will set reasonable visiting hours. At times, however, there may be a clinically reasonable basis to do so. This may include but is not limited to:
- Infection control issues
- Interfering with the care of other patients
- Existing court order restricting contact
- Disruptive, threatening or violent behavior of any kind
- Other patient’s need for rest
- Privacy and limiting the number of visitors present due to overcrowding
Visiting hours for acute inpatient rooms and observation patients are 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily. Long term care residents may receive visitors at any time however, staff may restrict visit if medically necessary. Ambulatory patients may also visit with guests in the waiting rooms located on each nursing unit or lobby areas. No more than 2 guests should be in a patient room at one time.
At the RN or physician discretion, an overnight visitor (same gender if semi-private room) may be allowed to stay with the patient. Overnight visitors are not permitted to stay in the waiting rooms or lobby areas. Children under the age of 18 are prohibited from staying overnight with the patient. Children under 12 are discouraged from visiting the hospital and must be accompanied at all times by someone over 18 years of age.
In some instances, it is necessary to restrict access to diagnostic and therapeutic procedure areas for health and safety reason. If staff decides to restrict visitation, the patient will receive an explanation. When possible, the patient is included in the decision.
Special restrictions apply to visitors in the Family Maternity Unit (presented to patient upon admission), this allows the patient to rest and new families to bond. Restrictions also apply to the Special Care Unit, restrictions are posted. All other visitors are permitted on the nursing units during published visiting hours for that unit.