Visitation
On April 6, 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 988, the No Patient Left Alone Act, to guarantee Florida families the fundamental right to visit their loved ones who are receiving care in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled (long-term care facilities). No health care facility in Florida may require a vaccine as a condition of visitation and every health care facility must allow their residents and patients to be hugged by their loved ones.
SB 988 states that all hospitals, hospices, and long-term care facilities visitation policies and procedures must allow for in-person visitation in all the following circumstances, unless the resident, client, or patient objects:
- End-of-life situations.
- 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.
- A resident, client, or patient is making one or more major medical decisions.
- A resident, client, or patient is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died.
- A resident, client, or patient needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family member or caregiver.
- A resident, client, or patient who used to talk and interact with others is seldom speaking.
Our facility recognizes the importance of residents maintaining contact with community, friends, and family. Therefore, residents are permitted to have visitors as he/she desires and are permitted immediate access to their visitors. Marianna Health and Rehabilitation Center will ensure that all visitors enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with resident preferences.
- The resident representative, resident’s immediate family or other relatives may visit the resident at any time, subject to the protection of the rights of other residents and any restrictions imposed by the resident. The resident has the right to deny or withdraw consent at any time.
- The facility reserves the right to change the location of a visit if such visit infringes upon the rights of the resident’s roommate or other residents in the facility.
- A critically ill resident may have visitors of his/her choice at any time, unless medically contraindicated.
- The residents may receive visits from members of the clergy at any time, as requested by the resident or his/her representative, and subject to the protection of the rights of other residents.
- Visiting hours for non-family members are from 9:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M. daily; however, the facility reserves the right to impose restrictions on such visits to protect the rights and safety of other residents in the facility.
- Visitors may be required to wait while the resident is receiving treatment, personal care, and or undergoing examination.
- The facility reserves the right to require supervised visitation and/or to restrict visitation to a particular time and area of the building under the following circumstances:
- A visitor’s behavior warrants intervention by personnel or by the police department;
- The facility has obtained a restraining order against a visitor; and/or
- The resident’s family member or visitor has been accused of abuse.
- Any incident of family or visitor disruptive behavior will be documented in the resident’s medical record.
- Residents will be permitted visits by any representative from federal or state survey agencies, resident advocates, and/or their personal physician at any time.
- The facility will provide reasonable access to a 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.
- Former employees may visit with residents in accordance with this policy, unless otherwise prohibited.
- A resident has the right to withdraw an individual’s visiting privileges at any time. Such documentation must be recorded in the resident’s medical record to ensure that staff members are aware of such restrictions.
- Residents have the right to receive visitors from whom he or she designates, including, but not limited to, a spouse (including a same-sex spouse), a domestic partner (including a same-sex domestic partner), another family member, or a friend, and his or her right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time.
- The facility does not restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Inquiries concerning visitation and access to the facility should be referred to the Administrator or to the Director of Nursing.
