COLUMBUS, Ohio — OhioHealth announced Monday that patients will be allowed to designate a single visitor for inpatient for the duration of their stay due to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in the community.
The new policy, which begins Aug. 31, says visitors must be 18 or older, asymptomatic, wear masks and pass screenings.
These designated visitors may enter and exit the hospital as needed and stay overnight if appropriate.
The hospital system, which includes Riverside Methodist and Grant Medical Center, last changed its visitor policy in April when they increased the amount to two.
A list of limited exceptions include:
- Caretaker: Visitor acting as a CARETAKER for a patient that is:
- Confirmed by clinical team a caretaker is currently required to support patient care.
- Dependent on caretaker prior to admission to perform tasks of basic activities of daily living, such as feeding, bathing, toileting and communication.
- Disoriented (e.g. traumatic brain injury, dementia, Alzheimer’s, altered mental state)
- Disabled (e.g. developmentally, hearing, autistic, etc.)
- In need of an interpreter.
- Patients receiving end-of-life care: Hospice/end-of-life patients may have up to three visitors at any given time, and no maximum number of visitors per day.
- Patients receiving neonatal, pediatric, adolescent care: Minor patients may have two parents or guardians visit.
- Maternity patients: Patients receiving maternity care are limited to two support persons.
- One of the support persons may stay overnight.
- Doulas are permitted, during labor and delivery, in addition to the two designated support persons.
- If the patient is a minor, patient may have both parents/guardians in addition to the other parent of the baby.
- Care sites with NICUs will follow Nationwide Children’s Hospital visitor management policy.
- Special Circumstance: Determined by clinical team
Patients in emergency, medical practice, surgery and outpatient infusion/radiation oncology space remain unchanged with one visitor allowed.