Care Communication, Interactions and Visitation Policy

Resident Care Policies are intended to describe the Company commitment to a customer-centered approach to care provided throughout the continuum of clinical services.

This policy describes the practices associated with a resident’s personal communication, interactions and visitation in the care center venue, and establishes guidelines for visitors of Licensed Care Venue residents at the Company’s Florida-based communities. 

1. Residents are permitted private and uncensored communication and interactions of their choice by mail, telephone, in-person visitation, or other means and methods of alternative communication or interaction (for example, Facetime). Residents may designate and/or receive any visitor(s) of their choosing, refuse a visitor permission to enter their room and/or end a visit at any time. The Administrator of the Licensed Care Venue is responsible for ensuring that workers, employees and staff adhere to visitation policies and procedures to support each resident’s right to visitation at the Licensed Care Venue.
2. Residents have the right to immediate access by family and reasonable access by others unless such visits are not medically advisable, as documented in the medical record by the healthcare provider with prescriptive authority. Licensed Care Venue management and/or staff reserves the right to change the location of the visits to protect privacy or assist the care giving of other residents, if needed.
3. Residents have the right to designate particular visitors, and also, determine the number of visitors, during visitation periods. The primary purpose of in-person visitation is to support consensual physical contact and/or encounters between residents and family members, or visitors designated by the resident within the Licensed Care Venue.
4. Residents may designate a visitor who may be a family member, friend, guardian, or other individual as an essential caregiver. The Licensed Care Venue specifically permits in-person visitation by the essential caregiver(s) designated by the resident; the Licensed Care Venue does not require an essential caregiver designated by the resident to provide “necessary care” as a condition or impediment to in-person visitation.
5. In-person visitation at the Licensed Care Venue is allowed specifically in all of the following circumstances, unless the resident specifically objects to in-person visitation:
   • End-of-life situations;
   • In cases where a resident, who was living with family before being admitted to the Licensed Care Venue, is struggling with the change in environment and lack of in-person family support;
   • The resident is making one or more major medical decisions;
   • A resident is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died;
   • A resident needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family member or a caregiver; and/or
   • A resident who used to talk and interact with others is seldom speaking.
6. Interaction and communication between the resident and visitor is private and confidential. Private space for visiting is available in the resident’s room. Accommodations are made to use other spaces for in-person visitation at the Licensed Care Venue, if needed or requested by the resident. Special or unique visitation accommodations are considered and coordinated through the Licensed Care Venue management team, if it will not disrupt the particular resident, affect the safety and well-being of other residents, or impede the administration of the Licensed Care Venue.
7. Staff provides reasonable access to any resident by any entity or individual that provides health, social, legal or other services to the resident, subject to the resident’s right to deny or withdraw consent at any time. These may occur during visiting hours in the resident’s room or another private area.
8. Individuals who may have immediate access to the resident include, but are not limited to:
   • Representatives of the Department of Health,
   • Long Term Care Ombudsman,
   • Appropriate law enforcement agents,
   • Adult protective services agency representatives; and the
   • Resident’s healthcare provider with prescriptive authority.
9. The resident may not refuse to be visited or seen by federal or state surveyors.
10. All visitors of the Licensed Care Venue must sign-in and sign-out and wear a visitor badge.
11. The Licensed Care Venue does not require visitors to provide proof of vaccination or immunization.
12. The Licensed Care Venue encourages frequent hand-hygiene during visits. Sanitizer is available on premises.
13. The Administrator of the Licensed Care Venue designates one or more care staff members to implement and oversee appropriate infection control and prevention practices incorporated into its established visitation policies and procedures. The Licensed Care Venue provides information on these policies to visitors upon request. In addition, each Licensed Care Venue makes its established visitation policies and procedures available on the Community’s website.
14. If a particular visitor violates policy or procedure of the Licensed Care Venue, in-person visitation may be suspended by the facility’s Administrator or designee as to that particular visitor, but not to all designated visitors of the resident generally. Visitors who are disruptive or infringe upon the rights of other residents may be asked to leave the Licensed Care Venue without additional opportunity to cure their conduct.
15. Resident’ mail is delivered to the concierge desk and distributed by a designated individual daily or placed directly into each resident’s mailbox by the postal service, as appropriate. Residents may request to have items mailed by the care center venue staff at any time. a. Postage is available but is charged to the resident. b. All outgoing and incoming mail is private and not examined by care center venue personnel.
16. Residents may have access to telephones in their rooms. Long distance calls can be made with the resident’s credit card, calling card or cellular telephone.
17. Except in an emergency situation, before entering any resident’s room, staff and visitors are expected to knock, identify themselves and receive permission to enter.
18. A resident’s healthcare provider with prescriptive authority may reasonably restrict interaction/communication/visitation in order to protect him or her or others from harm, harassment or intimidation, and the reason is documented in the resident’s medical record.

To file a complaint about a health care facility that is regulated by the Agency for Health Care Administration, visit the AHCA website: https://apps.ahca.myflorida.com/hcfc/