Hospital announces plans to allow unfettered access to in-patients
In a recent and nearly-unprecedented move, Guelph General Hospital announced plans to remove time restriction on visiting hours. The decision was announced via press release on the hospital website on March 25, noting that the hospital will join “a growing number of Canadian hospitals” in the move away from traditional visitation structure.
“I am pleased to announce our new policy will allow 24-hour, patient-directed visitation by family members or care partners,” said hospital President and CEO Marianne Walker in the March 25 release. “In basic terms, there will no longer be restriction on visiting hours set by the Hospital.”
The Guelph General Hospital recently announced the elimination of fixed visiting hours, in hopes to make patient stay more enjoyable and shorter.
The revision of hospital policy is situated on the desire to make patients’ stays more enjoyable, shorter, and less stressful. By increasing patient access to family, friends, and “care partners,” the hospital hopes that patients will become healthier faster.
“When we looked at the evidence, we found that family and friends are effective care partners and play an important role in a patient’s healing process,” explained Eileen Bain, Vice President of Patient Services and Chief Nursing Executive, in the same release. “It has been proven that open or unrestricted visiting hours improve the patient experience, shorten hospital stays, improves communication with families, and increases trust between patients, families, and their health care providers.
“The evidence also shows that patients are safer if their family members are by their side. It’s another set of eyes and ears that can ask questions, spot near misses, or prevent falls,” continued Bain. “Often, this simply comes down to the fact that families will always know more about the patient than the healthcare provider can gather in the limited timeframe of a hospital stay.”
This issue of allowing visitors unrestricted access to in-patients does raise unanswered questions regarding security and present staff working hours. Though the decision to eliminate restrictions on visiting hours certainly serves well patients and families of patients with inflexible schedules, it also demands an increase in working hours for hospital care and security staff.
To help support this transition and ensure the safety and security of all on the premises, those coming to visit patients after 8 p.m. and before 6 a.m. will be signed in through the Emergency Department of the hospital.
As well, specific units within the hospital, such as the Critical Care Unit and the Bob Ireland Family Intensive Care Unit, will maintain unique visiting hour restrictions to ensure the safety and health of patients.
Some have questioned the realistic consequences of unrestricted visitation on patients sharing rooms, given that late-night and early-morning visits could disrupt the sleep patterns of other in-patients.
For now, however, the decision looks to serve the innumerable patients who desire their loved ones by their side during trying times.
“I asked staff, ‘if the patient was your mother, father, or other family members, and you know that they need your support, what would you do or want,’” concluded Walker. “I believe this is a truly exciting change, and will positively improve the lives of our patients and families. It is just another way for GGH to create an environment that is supportive of patient and family-centred care.”