Visitor guidelines

General guidelines for all visitors and support persons

Family and support persons are integral members of a patient’s care team. When family members and support persons visit, they facilitate collaboration in shared decision-making and enhance safe patient care. These guidelines allow visits to occur safely.

Visiting hours in hospitals are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. See support person section for exceptions.

We will not restrict, limit or otherwise deny visiting privileges on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, marital or family status; though some age restrictions apply to children.

Screening and visitor arrival

• Visitors should not visit if they are sick or know they were recently exposed to a respiratory illness. Please self-screen for any symptoms – such as a cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, headache, muscle aches or fever – prior to arrival.
• Visitors should check in at a main entrance to receive a visitor sticker. This sticker must remain visible while the visitor is in the facility. If visitors leave the building, for any reason or length of time, they must present their visitor sticker upon return.
• Visitors and support persons must follow all visitor protocols, including masking, while in the facility. Visitors who refuse to comply will be asked to leave.

Patient care

• Visitors may be asked to step out of the room during an exam or treatment.
• Visitors must use hand hygiene frequently, and upon request by staff.
• Staff will provide instruction about any additional infection prevention requirements before visitors enter patients’ rooms.
• Any time a visitor can't be present with the patient in a manner consistent with these guidelines, our staff will offer other options such as virtual visits.

Support person specific

For patients with an impairment or disability, an adult support person may need to be present to participate in discussions and make decisions related to the patient’s treatment. This may be a guardian appointed for them or a family member acting on their behalf. The treating provider will make reasonable accommodations for these visitors based on the condition and needs of the patient. For example, a support person's visiting hours may be extended beyond the standard visiting hours to meet the patient’s needs.

Age restrictions

1. Children under age 13 are not permitted to visit mental health units.
2. Hospital visitors under age 18 may not stay overnight and must otherwise comply with visiting hours.
3. In order to visit, children under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older who is not the patient, with the following exception:
   • In a hospital setting, a visitor under age 18 and who is the parent of a child who is a patient does not need to be accompanied by another adult.