Quality Care. Right at Home.

Visitation Policy at the Bridges

Our Visitation Policy has been developed with the following goals in mind

• Implementation and compliance with Section 408.823, the “No Patient Left Alone Act”
• To facilitate resident and family connection
• To mitigate resident isolation and risks for depression

The Bridges Administrator is assigned to be responsible for ensuring staff adhere to these Policies and  Procedures

1. Visitors are welcome to visit at any time during the general visiting hours of 9:00am – 9:00pm at minimum. After 9:00pm, visitors may request extended visitation upon resident agreement and notifying staff to provide them with access to the building. There is no limit on the length of visitation with a resident and two visitors are preferred to visit with a resident at a time.
2. Residents shall have unrestricted access to private communications including sending and receiving unopened correspondence and private telephone calls.
3. Safety-related policies and procedures apply equally for staff and visitors. Visitors are not required to provide proof of any vaccination or immunization. This policy allows consensual physical contact between a Resident and Visitor.
4. Resident may designate a visitor who is a family member, friend, guardian, or other individual as an essential caregiver and will be allowed in-person visitation for at least 2 hours daily in addition to any other visitation.
5. In-person visitation is allowed under the following circumstances unless a resident objects
   1. End-of-life situations;
   2. 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. Resident is making one or more major medical decisions;
   4. Resident is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died;
   5. Resident needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was provided by a family member or caregiver; and/or
   6. Resident who used to talk and interact with others is seldom speaking.
6. Visitors will be screened as per The Bridges infection control policy and procedure with documentation of visitor name, the date, and time of entry.
7. Visitors will be provided education on communicable disease signs and symptoms and The Bridges infection control precautions prior to or upon their visit. As per regulation, mask-wearing may be optional and used at the discretion of the visitor and resident.
8. During a Pandemic, the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be enforced and all visitors will be provided with prior verbal instruction as to the following infection control expectations as mandated by the State of Florida upon arrival at the facility.The Bridges will advise all visitors of the community’s infection control protocols including:
   1. Hand-washing, sanitizing, and log in with name, date, and time of entry into the facility at the front desk
   2. Completion of a questionnaire if applicable
   3. Visitors will be escorted by a staff member to their residents and only engage with the resident they are visiting
   4. Residents and family members must wash their hands after the visit
   5. Consult with the front desk or Administrator with any questions (for example, privacy room to meet with the resident, status of care, etc.)
   6. Log out with visitor signature in logbook located at the front desk
   7. The Administrator or designee is responsible for overseeing visitor compliance
9. Residents with cognitive impairments or who may be fragile and not be able to follow these guidelines independently will be assisted by staff with compliance protocols.
10. This policy does not prohibit visits if the resident to be visited is quarantined, tested positive, or showing symptoms of a communicable disease. Visits in these circumstances will require a higher level of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) than standard masks. PPE will be provided to the visitor and will be in accordance with the most recent CDC guidance and state law requirements for healthcare workers.
11. The Bridges 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 Bridges may suspend in-person visitation for the specific individual.
12. To ensure resident safety, visitation may be suspended for anyone in violation of this policy.