Page 120 - COVID-19 Inpatient Training Resources

POLICY TITLE: COVID-19: Pandemic Family Presence (Visitor) Policy (Unity Health
Toronto) - April 2, 2020

POLICY #: SJ-12-00-21
SECTION: Infection Prevention and Control
ISSUING AUTHORITY: Incident Management Team
REVIEWED BY: Incident Management Team
NETWORK APPROVED: April 2, 2020
SUBSEQUENT APPROVAL:

APPLICABLE SITES:  Network Providence St. Joseph’s St. Michael’s

Introduction
Our mission at Unity Health Toronto is to provide compassionate physical, emotional and spiritual care
to all in need. We recognize family members and loved ones are integral to supporting our patients. This
temporary COVID pandemic Family Presence policy has been developed based on the core guiding
values (see Appendix A) which will support the policy’s ongoing evaluation.

For this policy, “Family” is a flexible term that could include individuals with a genetic and/or legal
relationship to the patient, or anyone else that the patient feels close to emotionally. It is up to patients
to define who they consider as their “family”. Under normal circumstances, we promote the presence of
family to support our patients in their care and recovery to the extent that is possible and safe for
patients and staff.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic we must implement measures to reduce and minimize
opportunities for transmission and keep our patients, families, staff and physicians safe. Limiting the
number of individuals entering our hospitals is paramount to i) supporting social distancing ii)
maintaining and monitoring compliance with infection control practices iii) maintaining adequate
personal protective equipment (PPE) and iv) lessening the burden on our staff and physicians from the
need to protect vulnerable patients, support family presence and protect themselves and their
colleagues.

Policy Statement
At all Unity Health sites no family or support persons will be allowed to physically visit with a patient in
our emergency departments, inpatient units or ambulatory care areas. The following exceptions will be
supported
 End-of-life patients (includes palliative, all inpatient units, Houses, critical care and emergency
department)
o End-of-life defined as a patient with a life expectancy of hours to days (less than one week)
 Patients under the age of 16 will have one designated parent or guardian with them
 Women giving birth may have one partner or coach accompany them
 Parents/guardians of babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) may have one
parent/guardian per baby

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