Volante of St. Petersburg

PURPOSE:

This visitation policy and these procedures are established to comply with the regulations set forth in Florida Statutes §408.823 and §429.28, ensuring residents’ rights to receive visitors in an assisted living community while maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all residents, staff, and visitors.

POLICY OVERVIEW:

Residents of our Community have the right to receive visitors of their choice, at any time, subject to reasonable clinical and safety restrictions. This policy outlines the procedures for visitation to ensure the well-being of residents while honoring their rights to social interaction. These procedures will be administered equally to all residents that request to have a visitor, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and transgender status), age, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

RESPONSIBILITY:

The Executive Director of the Community, or other designated staff, shall be responsible for ensuring that all residents, staff, and visitors adhere to the established visitation policy and procedure.

DEFINITIONS:

• Resident: Any individual living in the community.
• Visitor: Any individual, including family, friends, clergy, and others who come to the community to see a resident.
• Essential Caregiver: An individual designated by the resident or their representative to provide emotional support or assistance with activities of daily living.
• Emotional Support: Emotional supports are intended to help a resident deal with a difficult transition or loss, upsetting event, making major medical decisions, needs cueing to eat and drink, stops speaking, or end-of-life.
• Reasonable Restrictions: Restrictions imposed to protect the health and safety of residents, staff, or visitors, or to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

VISITATION RIGHTS:

1. General Visitation Rights:

• Residents have the right to receive visitors of their choice at any time, provided the visitation does not infringe on the rights of other residents or pose a health or safety risk.
• Visitation may occur in the resident’s room, designated visiting areas, or outdoor spaces.

2. Essential Caregivers:

• Residents may designate an essential caregiver who is allowed to visit even during times when general visitation may be restricted due to public health concerns or emergencies.
• Essential caregivers may visit for at least two hours daily in addition to all permissible visitation, and the facility will not impose any unreasonable restrictions on this right. The Executive Director and/or designee may make exceptions to the length of the visitation on a case-by-case basis for end-of-life residents, out-of-town visitors, and/or caregivers. These exceptions will be discussed and agreed upon in writing by the facility’s designee and the resident’s responsible party.
• All residents and/or POA/Guardian if appropriate will be asked if they want to identify an essential caregiver.
• All new residents will be asked if they would like to identify an essential caregiver upon move-in.
• All residents will be allowed to update as requested the named essential caregiver of record within 2 business days of request.
• 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.
• No more than three essential caregiver visitors may be designated per resident.
• Essential caregiver visits may still continue even if the specific resident to be visited is quarantined, tested positive, or showing symptoms of any infectious disease. Visits in these circumstances may require a higher level of PPE than standard surgical masks. The general visitation requirement that the facility has no new facility-onset cases of an infectious disease is not applicable to visitation by essential caregiver visitors.

3. Visitation During Emergencies:

• In cases of a public health emergency, such as a pandemic, the community may impose certain restrictions to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. However, the community will facilitate visitation to the greatest extent possible, including through the use of virtual visits.
• Essential caregivers will continue to have access to residents during public health emergencies, following any necessary health and safety protocols without regard to time limit restrictions in place.
• Efforts to continue general visitation even when an infected resident is residing in the community shall be made, and protocols shall be implemented at the discretion of the Executive Director along the lines of the following (when practical):
  • a. Ensure that the required consents and training are in place.
  • b. Ensure the visitor or essential caregiver has appropriate PPE, if applicable.
  • c. Identify locations for visitation/care to occur planning for residents in shared spaces and facilities with minimal common space to identify maximum time availability.
  • d. 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.
  • e. 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.
  • f. Continually monitor visitors for adherence to the policy.

4. Visitor Infection Control Education and Training:

• In cases of a public health emergency, such as a pandemic, the Director of Wellness or other designated community representative by the Executive Director will distribute the community’s infection control policy and provide visitor education on infection control procedures and how to reduce the spread of infectious disease. Each resident and visitor, including essential caregivers, will read and sign an acknowledgment of their receipt and understanding of the policies and procedures.
• Essential caregivers and other visitors, during a public health emergency, will complete training on infection prevention and control, including the use of PPE, masks, hand sanitation, and social distancing.

5. Reporting Signs and Symptoms During a Public Health Emergency:

• All visitors and essential caregivers must immediately report to the community any signs or symptoms consistent with an infectious disease within 24 hours of their last visit.

6. Reasonable Restrictions:

• The community may impose restrictions if visitation is deemed to compromise the health, safety, or rights of other residents.
• Visitors showing symptoms of infectious diseases or who fail to comply with infection control measures (e.g., wearing masks, hand hygiene) may be restricted from visiting.

7. Privacy and Confidentiality:

• All visits must respect the privacy and confidentiality of other residents and community operations.

VISITATION PROCEDURES:

1. Check-In Process:

• All visitors must check in at the front, concierge desk upon arrival.
• Visitors will be required to sign in and may be required to provide identification and disclose the purpose of their visit.

2. Health Screenings and Personal Protective Equipment:

• During public health emergencies, visitors may be subject to health screenings, including temperature checks and symptom questionnaires.
• During public health emergencies, the community will provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizer, or other necessary infection prevention measures to visitors, if needed.
• The community is not required to provide for “facility-provided” 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.
• Visitors must adhere to any infection control measures in place, such as wearing masks or other PPE, using hand sanitizer, and practicing social distancing.

3. Proof of Vaccination or Immunization Status:

• Under no circumstances will a visitor be compelled to provide proof of vaccination or immunization status.

4. Visitation Hours:

• Visitation hours are between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Visitors outside of these hours may be permitted in special circumstances as approved by the Executive Director or designee.

5. Allowable Number of Daily Visitors:

• The Community does not restrict the number of allowable visitors to a resident on any given day. The only exception is a restriction that might apply to an essential caregiver.

6. Visitor Conduct:

• Visitors are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful manner that does not disrupt the peaceful environment of the community or the care of other residents. The community may ask visitors to leave if their behavior disrupts the peaceful environment or violates any community rules.

7. Access to Resident Areas:

• Visitors should limit their movement within the community to the areas necessary to visit the resident. Visitors are not permitted in restricted areas, such as staff-only zones, unless accompanied by staff.

8. Enforcement of Visitation Policies and Procedures:

• The community Executive Director or other designated staff will enforce and ensure adherence to all visitation policies and procedures. Visitors failing to comply with policies and procedures may be restricted or prohibited from visiting in the future, and appropriate documentation will be placed in the resident’s file to indicate such restrictions were enforced.

RESIDENT AND VISITOR RIGHTS:

1. Right to Refuse Visitors:

• Residents have the right to refuse visitors or withdraw their consent to receive visitors at any time.
• Residents will be provided the option to designate an essential caregiver or primary visitor at any time during their stay.

2. Complaints and Grievances:

• Residents and visitors have the right to file complaints or grievances regarding visitation practices without fear of retaliation. Any grievances related to visitation shall be submitted to the Executive Director or designee in writing, and the community will investigate and respond to grievances within 72 hours.

3. Resident Right to Consensual Physical Contact:

• Consensual physical contact is allowed for all residents between the resident and their visitor, unless there are documented clinical or safety reasons for limiting physical contact (e.g., during public health emergencies where physical distancing is required).

POLICY REVIEW AND UPDATES:

This visitation policy will be reviewed annually or as needed to ensure compliance with state regulations and the needs of residents. Updates or revisions will be posted publicly, and residents and visitors will be notified of any changes.

POLICY POSTING:

The visitation policy and procedure for the community, including essential caregiver designation and visitation, shall be available on the homepage of the community’s website. The policy shall also be included in the resident admission packet and displayed in common areas of the community for easy reference.