VISITATION POLICY AND PROCEEDURE

PURPOSE

In-Person Visitation bill has been signed into law, creating Chapter 408.823, Florida Statues which is subject “In-person visitation.” This policy and these procedures are intended to serve as a sample for assisted living facilities to comply with the regulations set forth in Chapter 408.823, Florida Statutes. A resident may designate a visitor who is a family member, friend, guardian, or other individual as an essential caregiver/visitor. The policies and procedures must, at a minimum, include infection control and education policies for visitors; screening, personal protective equipment, and other infection control protocols for all visitors; permissible length of visits and numbers of visitors, which must meet or exceed the standards in SS. 400.022(1)(b) and 429.28(1)(d)

POLICY

The following are the procedures to be followed to identify Essential Caregivers/visitors for residents and the expectations. These procedures will be administered equally to all residents that request to have an essential caregiver/visitor, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and transgender status), age, national origin, disability, or veteran status. Essential caregiver/ visitors provide emotional support 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. Essential caregiver/ visitors may be allowed entry into facilities for these specific purposes. The provider must allow at a minimum in-person visitation for at least 2-hours daily under these circumstances. At Eastside Active Living, the 2-hour visit will be between 9:00 am. – 9:00 pm.  Eastside Active Living without exceptions to the 2- hour visitation on a case-by-case basis for end-of-life residents.

PROCEDURES

I.    For designation and utilization of essential caregiver visitors.

1. Eastside Active Living 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. Eastside Active Living essential caregiver/ visitor’s policy and procedure will be available on our facility website homepage.
3. Eastside Active Living will designate the administrator Ivan Domnin as Healthcare Coordinator as the key staff to support infection prevention and control.
4. Eastside Active Living will allow visitors to the facility at any given time between 9AM-9PM based on the ability of staff to safely screen and monitor and the space to accommodate the essential caregiver /visitors.
5. Identify locations for visitation care to occur planning for residents in shared spaces and facilities with minimal common space to identify maximum time.
6. 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
7. 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
8. All residents and/or POA/Guardian if appropriate will be asked if they want to identify an Essential
9. All new residents will be asked if they would like to identify an Essential Caregiver upon move-in.
10. All residents will be allowed to update as requested the named Essential Caregiver of record within 2 business days of request.
11. Residents are allowed in-person visitation in all the following circumstances, unless the resident, client, or patient objects:
13. End-of-life
14. 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

3. The resident, client, or patient is making one or more major medical
4. A resident, client, or patient is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died.
5. A resident, client, or patient needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family member or
6. A resident, client, or patient who used to talk and interact with others is seldom
7. Maintain a visitor log for signing in and
8. Essential caregiver/ visitors will be designated per
9. 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 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 is not applicable to visitation by essential caregiver/ visitors.
10. Eastside Active Living is not required to provide for “facility-provided” Universal precautions and only if it is based on the most recent CDC and FDA
11. Essential caregiver/ visitors must wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) per facility’s Infection Control The PPE required must be consistent with the most recent CDC guidance for healthcare workers. At Eastside Active Living, the essential caregiver/ visitors shall wear the same PPE that staff wear to provide care or services to the resident.

At Eastside Active Living, the essential caregiver/ visitors shall wear the same PPE that staff wear to provide care or services to the resident.

2. Any changes to essential caregiver/ visitor policies must be promptly communicated to affected residents and essential caregivers/ 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 acknowledgment of the signature represents that the essential caregiver /visitor will abide by the policies set forth in this document.
2. The Administrator (Ivan Domnin) and essential caregiver/ visitor will complete training at Eastside Active Living  on infection prevention and control including the use of PPE, use of masks, and hand
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

Eastside Active Living at the time the visitation schedule is developed and agreed upon.

III. When an essential caregiver /visitor is scheduled to visit, the facility will:

1. Eastside Active Living 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 Just as with staff entering the building.
2. Eastside Active Living will ensure that the required consents, and training and policy acknowledgments are in place.
3. Eastside Active Living will ensure that the caregiver /visitor’s has appropriate PPE if Eastside Active Living requires the essential caregiver /visitors to sign in and out on the visitor

5.Eastside Active Living 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, Eastside Active Living 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 Eastside Active Living policies and procedures.

 Infection Control and Education for Visitors

1. Core principles and best practices that reduce the risk of tuberculosis

These core principles are consistent with CDC and other health authority guidance and can help prevent unknowing transmission of infection. We encourage you to join our efforts in reducing the risk of infection by practicing these measures both inside and outside of the facility.

• Avoid visiting your loved one if you are ill or have been around someone who is ill in the last 14 days. Individuals can be exposed to transmitted disease and be able to transmit the infection to others even if they are without symptoms.
• Wash your hands often with soap and If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a
• Avoid gatherings where physical distancing cannot be maintained before visiting a loved one within the facility.
• When you cough or sneeze use the inside of your clean and disinfect frequently touched This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, counter-tops, handles, sinks, faucets, desk, keyboards, phone.
• When surfaces are dirty, clean them with a disinfectant that is approved by the EPA to eliminate the virus from spreading to others.

Signage throughout facility includes proper visitor education on signs and symptoms, infection control precautions use of masks specified entries, exits, and routes, hand hygiene, etc.

   2. Screening, personal protective equipment, and other infection control protocol for

  Upon arrival to the facility, the staff person receiving the visitor will provide a mask if the visitor does not have one.

• Visitors should clean their hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizer or perform hand washing upon arrival
• Temperature check will be done, (questions, observation for signs/symptoms) and recording of the information by staff.

• Clean and disinfect high frequency touched surfaces and designated visitation areas often and after each visit.

   3. Length of Must meet or exceed license-specific criteria, if applicable

The maximum length of the visit will be two (2) hours long within the operational hours from 9 am-9 pm. Essential Care Giver has the option to visit an additional 2 hours if needed.

   4. Number of Must meet or exceed license-specific criteria, if applicable

Visits are limited to one to three visitors per resident at one time. At no time will the total number of visitors inside exceed 9 in the facility.

 Designation of persons responsible for staff adherence to visitation policy or

The facility administrator will designate and train staff to supervise and monitor permitted visitors for adherence to the core principles for reducing the risk and transmission of infection. The designated facility staff will accompany the visitor (s) to the identified meeting location, remind visitors of appropriate infection control procedures, mask-wearing, hand washing etc.

  5.Visitors cannot be asked or compelled to show or provide proof of vaccination or immunization

The assisted facility and its administration have no statutory authority to request validation of any visitor or essential care vaccination status.

  6. Consensual physical contact allowed between a resident and a visitor

• Visitors do not have to maintain physical distancing with the person they are visiting unless the visitor or individual being visited prefers to not have physical contact and maintain distancing.
• Visitation can still be allowed in the residence when an outbreak
• If residents or their representative would like to have a visit during an outbreak investigation, visits must occur in the resident’s room to promote safety and reduce the risk of transmission
• Visitors will be made aware of the potential risk of visiting during an outbreak investigation and asked to adhere to the core principles of infection prevention and or other guidance provided by health authorities

ESSENTIAL CAREGIVERS’ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 I,                                                                     , accept the designation as an essential caregiver for.                                                                                                                                           I understand that:

• My visits as an essential caregiver are subject to Eastside Active Living infection control and education policies and procedures. I acknowledge receiving the policies and procedures and agree to always abide by
• My visits as an essential caregiver may be scheduled and may be no less than two hours per
• Essential I caregiver visits cannot occur if the resident personally objects/declines your visit no matter the circumstance per 408.823 of F.S.

“(c) The visitation policies and procedures required by this section must allow in-person visitation in all the following circumstances, unless the resident, client, or patient objects:

1. End-of-life
2. 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.
3. The resident, client, or patient is making one or more major medical
4. A resident, client, or patient is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently
5. A resident, client, or patient needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family

member or caregiver.

6. A representative to talk and interact with others is seldom “

 When visiting as an essential caregiver, I will utilize personal protective equipment (PPE) as determined by facility policies and procedures related to current facility status and current medical condition of.

• I acknowledge having received training on infection prevention and control, use of PPE, use of masks, hand I am satisfied with the training provided and do not have any questions regarding any of these topics.
• I acknowledge my obligation and agree to immediately notify if I experience symptoms of a respiratory infection, cough, fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, congestion or runny nose, sore throat, chills, headache, muscle pain, repeated shaking with chills, new loss of taste or smell, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, symptoms possibly related to a contagious infection, within fourteen (14) days of a visit.
• Visits by essential caregivers may be restricted or revoked for failure to follow infection prevention and control procedures of

Designated Essential Caregiver Signature                                                                              Date:                                                                            

Designated Essential Caregiver Printed Name __________________________ Date: ____________________________

Facility Representative Signature                                                                            ______ Date:____________________________

Facility Representative Printed Name________________________________ Date:____________________________