Residential Visitation

Visitation Policy

General Overview

Title: Visitation Policy

Effective Date: May 6, 2022

Scope: This policy applies to all residents and essential caregivers at Bishop Grady Villas

Policy

Bishop Grady Villas is committed to the health and wellbeing of its residents, this includes a resident’s right to visitation. The following sets forth Bishop Grady Villas’ policy and procedures regarding visitations. Generally, Bishop Grady Villas does not restrict visitation, including the number of visitors a resident is allowed to have at a time. However, overnight guests are prohibited. The resident or legal guardian may restrict access to visitors by name by requesting such formally in writing. These individuals will be designated in the person-centered plan of the resident. The Bishop Grady Villas Administrator will be responsible for ensuring that staff and visitors adhere to the Visitation Policies and Procedures.

Essential Caregiver Visitation

At times, there may be circumstances that require Bishop Grady Villas to restrict resident visitation, such as a natural disaster or infectious disease outbreak. In these situations there may be enhanced infection control guidelines implemented by Bishop Grady Villas under the direction of the local health authority. The Bishop Grady Villas Administrator, or designee, will promptly notify the residents and their families regarding any circumstance that will require limited visitation and their respective procedures, which can be located on the Bishop Grady Villas website. During these circumstances, the Bishop Grady Villas Administrator may limit the total number of visitors allowed at the assisted living community at any given time based on the ability of staff to safely screen and monitor residents and visitors, as well as the availability of space to accommodate visitation. All residents may designate an essential caregiver, who will continue to have access to support the designated resident during timeframes when visitation is restricted, including all of the following circumstances, unless the resident objects:

  1. End of Life Situations.

  2. A resident who was living with family before being admitted to Bishop Grady Villas’ care is struggling with the change in environment and lack of in-person family support. 

  3. The resident is making one or more major medical decisions.

  4. A resident is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died.

  5. A resident needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink, which was previously provided by a family member or caregiver. 

  6. A resident who used to talk and interact with others is seldom speaking. 

Bishop Grady Villas may suspend in-person visitation to visitors that violate its policies and procedures. Designated essential caregivers will read and agree to follow Bishop Grady Villas’ policies and procedures.

Visitation Procedure

General Overview

Title: Visitation Procedure

Effective Date: May 6, 2022

Scope: This procedure applies to all residents and essential caregivers at Bishop Grady Villas

Essential Caregiver Designation

  1. Bishop Grady Villas will provide the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) with a copy of the Bishop Grady Villas’ essential caregiver visitor’s policy and procedure at each renewal application or change of ownership application. 

  2. Bishop Grady Villas’ essential caregiver visitor’s policy and procedure are available on the residential homepage of the Bishop Grady Villas website. 

  3. The Registered Nurse is the key staff to support infection prevention and control training. 

  4. The Bishop Grady Villas Administrator will notify residents, families, responsible parties, staff, and volunteers by email of a designated emergency that will require limited visitation.

  5. During a designated emergency, the Bishop Grady Villas Administrator may limit the total number of visitors allowed at the assisted living community any given time based on the ability of staff to safely screen and monitor and the space to accommodate the essential caregiver.

    1. The 2-hour visitation period during designated emergencies will be between 9:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m unless otherwise announced by the Bishop Grady Villas Administrator

    2. The Bishop Grady Villas Administrator may identify specific locations for visitation/care to occur.

    3. Bishop Grady Villas will provide outdoor visitation spaces protected from weather elements, such as porches, courtyards, patios, or other covered areas covered from heat and sun, with cooling devices, if needed. 

    4. The Bishop Grady Villas Administrator will determine indoor visitation spaces for residents in a room that is not accessible by other residents.

  6. All current residents or their guardian or designated power of attorney, as applicable, will be asked to complete an Essential Caregiver Form to indicate their desire to designate an essential caregiver.

  7. All new residents or their guardian or designated power of attorney, will complete an Essential Caregiver form at admission.

  8. The resident (or their representative) and the essential caregiver visitor will read and sign the policy and procedures. The acknowledgment of the signature represents that the essential caregiver visitor will abide by the policies outlined in this document.

  9. All residents will be allowed to update the named Essential Caregiver of record within two business days of receiving the request.

  1. Bishop Grady Villas will maintain a visitor log for signing in and out using the vPass system.

  2.  No more than one essential caregiver visitor may be designated per resident.

  3. If the specific resident to be visited is quarantined, tested positive, or showing symptoms of a communicable disease, essential caregivers may still visit with the resident. Visits in these circumstances will likely require a higher level of PPE than standard surgical masks. The general visitation requirement that there are no new onset of infectious disease cases at Bishop Grady Villas (for example, COVID-19) does not apply to visitation by an essential caregiver. 

  4. Bishop Grady Villas is not required to provide testing for infectious disease; if testing is available and Bishop Grady Villas is authorized to provide it, Bishop Grady Villas may provide testing at its own cost.

  5. During infectious disease outbreaks, essential caregivers must wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) per Bishop Grady Villas’ Infection Control Policies. The PPE required must be consistent with the most recent CDC guidelines for healthcare workers. At Bishop Grady Villas the essential caregivers shall wear the same PPE that staff members wear to provide care or services to that resident. The essential caregiver will provide the PPE with approval from the Registered Nurse or Administrator.

  6. The Administrator will promptly communicate any changes to Bishop Grady Villas’ essential caregiver visitor policies to affected residents and essential caregivers. 

During designated emergencies, the Administrator will enact the following procedures::

  1. The Administrator will notify residents and families through email when there is a covered emergency that prohibits regular visitation and that this procedure is in effect.

  2. The essential caregiver will schedule visits with the Bishop Grady Villas Administrator.

  3. The essential caregiver visitor will complete training on Bishop Grady Villas’ infection prevention and control, including PPE, use of masks, hand sanitation, and social distancing with the Registered Nurse or the Administrator’s designee prior to their first visit.

  4. The essential caregiver visitor must immediately inform the Administrator if they develop symptoms consistent with an infectious disease within 24-hours of their last visit at Bishop Grady Villas. 

  5. Essential caregiver visits may occur in the resident’s room or a designated area determined by the Administrator when the visitation schedule is developed and agreed upon. 

When an essential caregiver visits, Bishop Grady Villas will:

  1. The receiving staff member will thoroughly screen the visitor per the infection control policy and procedure and document the individual’s name, the date and time of entry, the screening mechanism used, and the screening employee’s name and signature. Just as with staff entering Bishop Grady Villas, if the visitor fails the screening, the visitor cannot be allowed entry. 

  2. The Bishop Grady Villas Administrator will ensure that the required consents, training, and policy acknowledgments are in place. 

  3. If applicable, the staff person who screens the visitor will ensure the caregiver visitor has appropriate PPE.

  4. Bishop Grady Villas will require the essential caregiver visitor to sign in and out on the visitor log in the vPass system. 

  5. Bishop Grady Villas staff will monitor the essential caregiver visitor’s adherence to the policies and procedures.

  6. If the essential caregiver visitor fails to follow the Bishop Grady Villas’ infection prevention and control requirements, after attempts to mitigate concerns, the Bishop Grady Villas Administrator shall restrict or revoke visitation.

  7. If the essential caregiver visitor’s status is revoked due to the individual not following Bishop Grady Villas’ policy and procedures, the resident may select a different essential caregiver visitor who will be granted visitation rights upon proper vetting and agreeing to Bishop Grady Villas policies and procedures.



Exhibits

  1. Resident Essential Caregiver Designation Form

  2. Essential Caregiver Acknowledgement Form

Exhibit A:

Essential Caregivers Designation

I, ________________________(resident/legal rep.) designate ______________________(visitor) 

as essential caregiver for ________________________(resident). In making this designation, I consent and understand that:

  • Visits by essential caregivers are subject to Bishop Grady Villas’ policies and procedures and ability to screen visitors and monitor visits. 

  • All essential caregiver visits may be scheduled, based on current conditions, and will be allowed for at least 2 hours daily.

  • Visits are limited to one visitor at a time, and are limited to designated areas only. (Please speak with the Administrator regarding possible exceptions for end-of-life situations) 

  • ___________________(resident) has the ability to object to a visit at any time, even under the following circumstances:

    • End-of-life situations.

    • The resident was living with family before being admitted to the provider’s care and is struggling with the change in environment and lack of in-person family support.

    • The resident is making one or more major medical decisions.

    • The resident is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died.

    • The resident needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family member or caregiver.

    • A resident who used to talk and interact with others is seldom speaking. 

  • Essential caregivers will need to follow the Bishop Grady Villas’ infection control and education policies and procedures and agree to such. At no time will they be more stringent than those for staff and at no time require to submit proof of vaccination.

  • Essential caregivers must sign an acknowledgement of completion of required trainings and adherence to infection prevention and control policies.

  • Visits by a specific essential caregiver may be suspended for failure to follow infection prevention and control requirements or other related rules of Bishop Grady Villas. At that time, the resident or resident’s representative can designate a new essential caregiver. 

___________________________________

Resident or Legal Representative  Name

___________________________________

Signature

___________________________________

Date

___________________________________

Administrator  Name

___________________________________

Signature

___________________________________

Date

Exhibit B:

Essential Caregiver Acknowledgement

I, _________________________________ accept the designation as an essential caregiver for 

________________________________(resident). I understand that:

  • My visits as an essential caregiver are subject to Bishop Grady Villas’ infection control and education policies and procedures. I acknowledge receiving the policies and procedures and agree to abide by them at all times.

  • My visits as an essential caregiver may be scheduled, and may be limited in time, but will be allowed for at least 2 hours a day.

  • Essential caregiver visits cannot occur if the resident personally objects/declines my 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 of the following circumstances, unless the resident, client, or patient objects: 1. End-of-life situations. 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 decisions. 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 caregiver. 6. A resident, client, or patient who used to talk and interact with others is seldom speaking.”

  • When visiting as an essential caregiver, I will utilize personal protective equipment (PPE) as determined by Bishop Grady Villas’  policies and procedures related to current status and current medical condition of ______________________(resident).

  • I acknowledge having received training on infection prevention and control, use of PPE, use of masks, hand sanitation, and social distancing. 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 Bishop Grady Villas if I experience symptoms of a communicable disease or 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, or if I test positive for COVID-19 (or other communicable disease) 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 Bishop Grady Villas. 

___________________________________

Resident or Legal Representative  Name

___________________________________

Signature

___________________________________

Date


___________________________________

Designated Essential Caregiver Name

___________________________________

Signature

___________________________________

Date