Family Visits
As of February 2022, family visits to our residents will be underpinned by public health infection control advice and guidance from HSE.
Guiding Principles for our COVID-19 Visitors Protocol
- Residents’ Safety
- Person-Centred Compassionate Care and Support
- Residents’ Rights are upheld and that their personal autonomy is fully respected in accordance with their personal values, beliefs, and preferences.
- Residents Social Health and Wellbeing: facilitating residents in reconnecting with their relatives, friends and representatives and promote positive mental, emotional, and social health wellbeing.
- Informed Decision Making: all actions taken are done in consultation with residents and or their representatives so that decisions are clear, well communicated, and subject to the necessary checks and balances.
- Compliance: we ensure the highest standards and quality of care are afforded to residents and their representatives.
- Ongoing Evaluation: implementation of this protocol is subject to ongoing monitoring to review, reduce and or reintroduce restrictions only if necessary.
Compassionate visiting arrangements have and will continue to be in place in all homes and will for example, continue for those who are visiting residents at end of life.
Click through for more information on our new Visiting Protocols
Restrictions to visiting a specific resident shall only occur at the explicit direction of the Director of Nursing and agreement by the resident(s). Restrictions may be implemented:
- If the visit could pose a risk to the safety of resident concerned or to another resident;
- For reasons of resident privacy;
- Where the resident has requested the restriction of visits;
- If, in the opinion of the Director of Nursing, the resident is likely to become unduly upset or tired or if the visitor appears to be agitated or displaying behaviours that may be deemed inappropriate;
- Due to a specific health and safety risk, e.g. an outbreak of infection.
(S.I. No 415 of 2103; HIQA, 2016;).
Where visiting hours are restricted, the resident’s family members are contacted and informed of the restriction. They shall be kept updated and informed when the restriction is removed.
Visiting Guidelines
- Liaise with staff upon entrance and exit of the nursing home.
- Use hand hygiene facilities as available when entering and exiting nursing home.
- Consider other residents’ needs for rest and privacy.
- Consider staff doing their job.
- Observe confidentiality of the resident(s).
- Please do not visit if there might be an infection risk to others or if you feel unwell.
- Help keep the nursing home clean and inform staff of any cleaning concerns.
- Ensure any visiting children are well behaved and are never left on a unit
unaccompanied. - Be responsible for the safety and security of individual belongings.
- Refrain from touching dressings, drips, catheters etc.
- Always enter and exit the nursing home through the main entrance doors or as specified.
- Follow nursing home restrictions on the use of mobile phones.
- Please do not sit or lie on beds.
- Please do not bring in food/beverages for residents without prior consultation.
- Ensure staff are aware of any valuables/clothing brought into the nursing home for residents. Ensure residents have given their consent where photographs are being taken.
- Please do not enter unauthorised areas, e.g. kitchens.
- Follow nursing home car parking regulations.
- Please do not visit while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
(HSE, 2006)
Family members and friends shall be requested not to visit if they have sore throats, flu, vomiting and/or diarrhoea or other infections, because of the risk of introducing infection to the nursing home (HSE, 2006).
Should an outbreak of infection occur, visitors shall be informed of the visiting restrictions (see CE-004 Infection Prevention and Control).