Hamilton hospitals to welcome back visitors this week
Published June 24, 2020 at 2:26 pm
Hamilton hospitals will start allowing visitors under strict guidelines in the coming days.
Hamilton hospitals will start allowing visitors under strict guidelines in the coming days.
Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) announced that starting Wednesday (June 24) hospitals will begin a “staged approach” to bringing visitors back into local hospitals.
In March, local hospitals introduced a no-visitor policy, with very few exceptions, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
This week, hospitals will start relaxing those restrictions but visitation will look different.
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“The changes being implemented this week acknowledge the important role that family members and care partners have in supporting the wellbeing of patients,” a news release from HHS says.
“The changes are also balanced with the need to keep everyone in our hospitals safe.”
Visitors will be screened at HHS and SJHH sites and will be required to wear a mask, wash hands regularly and practice physical distancing.
Also, visitors will not be able to come and go as they please: while visiting a patient, if a visitor leaves, they will not be able to return until the next day.
Here are some other things that hospital visitors need to know:
- Staged and gradual approach developed in consultation with patient and family advisors, and hospital staff and physicians, and based on COVID-19 safety guidelines.
- Will see return of family member/care partner visits to inpatient areas.
- Visiting hours are from 9 am to 6 pm at HHS and 9 am to 9 pm at SJHH.
- There are exceptions where additional family members or care partners can be present, such as labour and delivery, end-of-life care and when special support is needed.
For more detailed information on visitor policies and procedures, visit the HHS and SJHH websites.
Photo courtesy Hamilton Health Sciences’ Facebook page
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