Visitor guidelines

Last reviewed February 2023

Welcome to Welia Health. We invite families, friends, colleagues and neighbors to visit our patients and their families. We believe that loved ones can positively influence their loved one’s recovery, comfort level and length of stay.

It is important that all visitors follow the visitor guidelines. Welia Health has developed guidelines to protect patients, families, visitors and staff. As a component of the Patient Bill of Rights, we present our visitation rights and responsibilities to patients, families and significant others upon admission.

  • Welia Health believes in the rights of the individual. It believes that visitation is one aspect of patient care.
  • We do not restrict, limit or otherwise deny visitation privileges based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.
  • When a patient is unable to speak for him or herself or make decisions based on his or her beliefs and values, a support person (spouse, domestic partner, family member or friend) identified by the patient will be designated to do so. This support person, who will have access to the patient, is expected to make visitation decisions based on the patient’s values and interests.
  • Visitation restrictions or limitations may occur for the following reasons:
    • A court order limiting or restraining contact
    • Behavior presenting a direct risk or threat to the patient, hospital staff or others in the immediate environment
    • Behavior disruptive of the functioning of the patient care unit
    • Reasonable limitations on the number of visitors at any one time
    • Patient’s risk of infection by the visitor
    • Visitor’s risk of infection by the patient
    • Extraordinary protections because of a pandemic or infectious disease outbreak
    • Substance abuse treatment protocols requiring restricted visitation
    • The patient’s need for privacy or rest by or rest by another individual in the patient’s shared room
    • The patient’s preference for privacy
  • If a patient decides to keep their visit or hospital stay private, staff may not confirm to anyone that they are a patient or give out additional details. Visitors will not be allowed into these patient rooms unless they disclose specific individuals to the nursing staff they desire for visitation.
  • Should visitation restrictions be required, both the patient and their support person will be notified of the restriction, the reason and the length.
  • Welia Health values the safety and security of our newborns. A visitor verification process will be followed 24/7 for the locked Labor and Delivery unit at Welia Health.
  • A patient or visitor grievance resolution process is available if it is felt that the patient’s visitation rights have been violated. Any issues should be directed to the nurse team or the on-duty charge nurse caring for the patient.
  • Patients and visitors should mask if they are feeling ill or displaying flu-like symptoms (coughing, fever, etc.).