COVID PATIENT RESOURCES

Visitor limitations within Knox Community Hospital care settings are necessary for the safety of our patients, visitors, care teams, and community to control the spread of COVID-19.

Knox Community Hospital is committed to meeting the emotional and spiritual needs of our patients and families, and therefore we present this document as necessary guidelines for visitation with COVID-19 patients.

Guiding Principles:

1. The safety and well-being of our associates and staff is a top priority.
2. The final decision around visitation is determined by the patient’s clinical care team and hospital leadership.
3. The decision to allow visitation with an individual his is COVID-19 Positive will be concordant with the hospital’s current status of personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies, staffing to accommodate the visitor intake process, privacy, and considerations of other patients, and potential risks to the visitor.
4. No visitation is to occur during aerosol-generating procedures/interventions.
5. All visitors must be capable of understanding the necessary infection prevention recommendations, including keeping a mask on and hand hygiene.
6. During the visit, staff should encourage compliance with the visitor keeping PPE on throughout the duration of the visit (no removal of mask for kissing, no removal of gloves for direct contact, etc.)
7. Nursing will provide instruction before visitors enter patient rooms, on hand hygiene, limiting surfaces touched, and use of PPE according to current facility policy while in the patient’s room.
8. Visitors should be instructed to only visit the patient room. They should not go to other locations in the facility. Visitors should use the restroom in the patient’s room.
9. Visitors should be directed to the Nurses’ Station and given the Visitor Guidelines.
10. Visitors will be restricted to two (2) designated visitors per patient during visiting hours, except End of Life patients.
11. Visitors leaving the facility following visitation with a COVID-19 Positive individual will remove and dispose of PPE, perform hand hygiene, and leave the facility wearing a clean mask.
12. End of Life patients: No visitor restrictions. Continue to follow PPE Guidelines as listed above.