Visitors information

Home 9 Patients & Visitors 9 Visitors information

Patients & Visitors

Guidelines for Visiting Saint Clare’s Patients

Effective 05/26/23 Until Further Notice

For your health and safety, new visitor restrictions are in effect.

Visitation Restrictions

Visitor Criteria (Applies to all departments within the hospital, unless otherwise specified.)
- Visiting hours are 10am to 7pm, unless otherwise specified.
- Visitors must be 12 years of age or older, except for the rare exceptions as determined below.
- Visitors under 18 years of age must always be accompanied by an adult while visiting.
- Visitors are prohibited from visiting if they have COVID-19 symptoms, influenza like illness symptoms or a temperature of 100.4℉ or greater.
- Visitors should perform hand hygiene upon arrival, entering the patient room and departure from the patient room and hospital.
- All visitors must comply with hospital requirements to minimize the potential spread of infection. Visitors who do not comply, will be asked to leave the hospital.
- Only two (2) visitors/support people at the bedside are permitted at a time. Visitors can be “swapped out”.
- Visitors may be limited or asked to briefly vacate the patient room for safety or if visitation interferes with patient care.
COVID-19 Positive/Person Under Investigation (PUI)
- Visitors must be 18 years of age or older.
- One (1) visitor at a time per day. The visitor does not need to be the same person for the duration of the patient’s stay.
- Visitors are limited to two (2) hours.
- Visitors are to check in at the nurse’s station prior to entering the patient’s room.
- The number of visitors for a patient at end of life will be determined by the clinical care team.
Emergency Department (24 hours/day, 7 days/week)
- Open visitation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Only two (2) visitors/support people are permitted at the bedside at time, visitors can be “swapped out”.
- Behavioral Health patients in the Emergency Department are permitted visitation, at the discretion of the care team.
Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES)
- Visitation shall be at the discretion of the PES Psychiatrist based on the patient’s clinical presentation and unit acuity at the time.
- Visitation shall be monitored by the PES staff and Psychiatrist on call.
- All items brought to the patients by visitors shall be checked by the PES staff to ensure patient/unit safety.
- Visitors will have their belongings locked in the patient room cabinets for patient/unit safety. Rationale and explanation shall be given to visitors for this procedure.
- A patients’ rights may be denied only for good cause when the attending physician feels it is imperative to deny any of these rights; except that, under no circumstances shall a patient’s right to communicate with his attorney or physician or the courts be restricted.
- A denial of the rights shall only be effective for the period of time that the patient is in PES.
Medical/Surgical Units
- Visiting hours are restricted to 10am to 7pm.
- Visitors must be 12 years of age or older, except for the rare exceptions as determined by the facility.
- Only two (2) visitors/support people are permitted at the bedside at time, visitors can be “swapped out”
Critical Care/Intensive Care
- 24 hour visiting for family members, in arrangement with the team designed to maximize patient benefit.
- Visitation will be restricted during the hours of 7am to 8am and 7pm to 8pm. Visitors will be permitted to wait in the CCU/ICU waiting room during these times.
Surgical Services/Cardiac Cath Lab/Outpatient Procedures
- Two (2) visitors/support persons can accompany the patient until they are taken into prep and when the patient is in recovery (SDS patients) and preparing for discharge.
- The visitor/support person can wait in the appropriate waiting area.
- Pediatric patients are permitted two (2) parents/guardians.
- If the patient is admitted on the day of surgery, the visitor/support person may accompany the patient to the unit.
Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU/Recovery)
- No visitors: except 1 parent/guardian of a pediatric patient or 1 visitor for critical patient.
Mother/Baby
- Postpartum patients may designate or exclude visitors of their choosing while in the Postpartum Unit.
- It is at the discretion of the mother whether or not to have the baby in the room during visitation hours.
- Open visitation hours are from 2:00pm-7:00pm, 7 days a week.
  - Companions may come and go at any time. Siblings may visit during regular visiting hours.
  - Provided that visitation does not interfere with the care of the patient, or at the discretion of the nurse. There are no restrictions to the number of visitors a patient may have during open visitation hours, however only two (2) at the bedside at a time. The father and siblings will not count as visitors.
  - All visitors must wash their hands using the available hand sanitizer prior to entering the patients’ room.
  - Quiet Time
    - From 1:00pm-2:00pm the Maternity Department participates in a quiet time for the mother and newborn.
    - The mother may request to limit visiting during these hours.
- Additional visitation is based on the needs of the patient as determined by the clinical care team (i.e., time of delivery, extenuating family circumstances).
Labor and Delivery
- Companion is allowed at the bedside at any time during labor.
- Second visitor is allowed upon approval of the attending Obstetrician.
- No children are allowed to visit in labor and delivery.
Pediatrics
- 24 hour visiting for parents/guardians.
- Two (2) parents/guardians may stay overnight.
- All other visitation is during normal visiting hours.
Psychiatric Medical Care Unit (3 West)
- 1 visitor per day; siblings and children over 18 can be approved visitors for this population.
- Monday to Friday – 6:30pm – 7:30pm
- Saturdays & Sundays – 1:00pm – 2:45 pm
- Holidays – 1:00pm – 2:45pm and 6:30pm – 7:30 pm
Alcohol/Chemical Dependency Unit (ACDU)
- Visitors are not allowed due to the nature of the program.
Children’s Crisis Intervention Services (CCIS)
- No visitation on Monday’s.
- Tuesday to Friday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm (Last visit ending at 8pm)
- Saturday and Sunday – 1:30pm to 3:30pm (Last visit ending at 4pm)
- Holidays – 1:00pm to 7:30pm (Last visit ending at 8pm)
Acute Crisis Intervention Services (ACIS)
- Monday to Friday – 6:00pm to 7:00pm
- Saturday and Sunday – 1:00pm to 2:45pm
- Holidays – 1:00pm to 2:45pm and 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
- Monday to Friday – 7:00pm to 8:00pm
- Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays – 2:30pm to 4:00pm and 7:00pm to 8:00pm
The Dwelling Place/Respiratory Care Center (RRC)
- Visitation is permitted 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.
- Two visitors at a time, additional visitors at the same time with unit approval.
- Visitors under 16 years of age, with unit approval.
Visiting Nurse Association (Hospice)
- Two (2) visitors at a time, no time restrictions.
- Additional visitors at the same time with unit approval.
Kindred
- Visiting hours are 11am to 7pm.
- Visitors must be 18 years of age or older.
- Two (2) visitors per patient at a time, visitors can be “swapped out”.
Exceptions may apply to patients with intellectual, developmental or cognitive impairment.
Visitation criteria is subject to change.

Family Initiated Rapid Response Team

Family members are an important component of a patient’s healthcare team. As such, family members are urged to immediately notify a caregiver should they notice any decline in their loved one’s condition.

You should call if you see the following changes:

Change in heart beat
Problems with breathing
Sudden change in mental status (confusion or agitation)
Something is “just not right”

If you notice a change in your family member’s condition, please notify a nurse immediately or call the Rapid Response Team.

Denville or Dover………….Call 444

When you call, please provide the patient’s name, room number, and a brief description of the emergency. A member of the Rapid Response Team will arrive promptly to assist the patient.

Meals and Snacks for Visitors (Limited during COVID restrictions)

Saint Clare’s Health System offers a variety of meal options for patients and their visitors.

Denville: The cafeteria, located on the first floor, is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.

Dover: The cafeteria, located on the first floor, is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. until 6:30 pm and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends.

We also offer guest trays to our patients’ friends and family. Your guest may choose any item on the day’s menu, and pay by a guest tray voucher purchased in advance at our cafeterias.

Your Safety is Our Top Priority

You may be concerned about news of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and its implications for your health and those of your loved ones. Your safety and well-being are our top priority.

Please know that:

We are taking all necessary measures and precautions to protect the safety of our patients and staff.
We specialize in the care of patients with complex illnesses and have experience with managing and containing novel viruses.
This is a rapidly evolving situation and we suggest you check out the latest updates on the CDC website as well as the website of your state health department.
Hospital entry points will be limited to enable screening of visitors. Visitors who show any signs of illness, including mild symptoms, should not visit patients in the hospital or accompany patients to the emergency department.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Novel Coronavirus

What is our hospital doing to protect patients?

We are screening patients with symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath and with a history of travel within the past 14 days to communities with widespread or sustained community transmission of the coronavirus.
If we have a confirmed or potential patient with COVID-19, we will institute standard infectious disease protocols, as well as additional measures, to prevent the potential spread of the virus. All healthcare providers who have contact with the patient will use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), following U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

How concerned should I be about the coronavirus?

Coronaviruses can cause the common cold and pneumonia. Most people infected with the novel coronavirus have mild cold symptoms. A small fraction of people, however, may require more intensive care. We understand your concern about protecting yourself from respiratory diseases.
We have launched an online self-checker for the novel coronavirus in the form of a bot nicknamed Robby. Robby walks users through symptoms and then gives recommendations if medical care is needed. Robby is not intended to be used for diagnosis or treatment purposes. Click the blue “Start Self-Check Assessment” button to launch the self-checker:

START SELF-CHECK ASSESSMENT

Keep informed of the risk by checking the situation update on the CDC website.

What can I do to protect myself?

It is understandable to feel uncertain or anxious during a public health crisis, and we need to remember to avoid making assumptions about others’ perceived symptoms or any characteristics of identity. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent the novel coronavirus infection. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus.

Here are the current CDC recommendations to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses:

Take everyday preventive actions for respiratory infections, such as avoiding close contact with people who are sick, staying home when sick, and washing hands often.
Avoid traveling to places with widespread or sustained community transmission of the coronavirus. A good place for reliable travel information can be found on the CDC’s travel advisory page.

Should I wear a mask?

CDC recommends that you wear masks in public settings around people who don’t live in your household and when you can’t stay 6 feet away from others. Masks help stop the spread of COVID-19 to others.

Where can I learn more?

Concerned patients and family members should talk with their healthcare provider.

You can also find more information about the virus from these websites.