Saskatchewan Health Authority tightens and clarifies hospital visit rules

The limited number of people who are allowed to visit patients at Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) facilities must get their temperatures taken before entering and wear masks once inside.

The SHA released its updated visitation rules last week to clarify the circumstances under which people can visit loved ones inside hospitals and other health-care facilities.

Visits are limited to those that are considered to be for “compassionate” reasons.

“We recognize how difficult this is for patients and families, but this decision is guided by the need to protect our patients and health care teams during COVID-19,” a post on the SHA website says.

Compassionate reasons “may include” visits by immediate family of dying patients and patients awaiting a “major surgery,” according to the post. The SHA did not to respond to messages from The Starphoenix attempting to clarify what qualifies as a major surgery.

Only one healthy visitor at a time is allowed per patient. In addition to the temperature check and mask, visitors are required to fill out a questionnaire and may need to don additional personal protective equipment.

Visitors must wash their hands before entering or leaving the facility, and before entering or leaving the patient’s room.

Permitted visitors for compassionate reasons include spouses, common-law spouses, children, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings and support people with whom the patient is close.

Patients who can receive visits include those in palliative care and hospice care and those determined by a doctor along with hospital staff to be at “high risk for loss of life.” A doctor will also determine whether the risk of death is high in intensive care or critical care patients.

Patients with “specific challenges” like impaired vision, hearing, memory or mobility can also receive visitors.

Pregnant women and those who have given birth are allowed one visitor or care person for the duration of their stay. Children in pediatric intensive care units are allowed visits by a single parent or caregiver for their entire stay.

We recognize how difficult this is for patients and families, but this decision is guided by the need to protect our patients and health care teams ...

Children in pediatric units can receive visits from the same two parents or caregivers, and infants in neonatal intensive care units can be visited by the same two parents or caregivers.

If residents in long-term care or special care homes need extra care beyond what staff can supply, two healthy people can be designated for visits, with only one allowed at a time.

The SHA encourages the use of phones and electronic devices for visitation, and is trying to make phones and tablets available for virtual communication.