Memorial Medical Center updated patient visitation– effective 3/9/2022
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center today has revised its visitation policy. The updated policy will be reviewed regularly and will remain in effect until further notice.
Visitation Procedure
Visiting Hours
- Patient visitation in the acute care areas, including Labor and Delivery, Surgery, Telemetry unit, and the Medical/Surgical Unit will be allowed entrance into NFMMC from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. seven (7) days a week.
- Behavioral Health unit visiting hours are from 1pm to 2pm seven (7) days a week.
Rare exceptions for after-hours visitation may be permitted in the instance of the following:
- Patients in labor and delivery;
- Pediatric patients;
- Emergency department visitation
- Patients with special needs (disabled individuals or those with cognitive impairments).
- Patients in imminent end-of-life situations and,
- Patients for whom a support person has been determined to be essential to the care of the patient (medically necessary) including patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and patients with cognitive impairments including dementia.
Approved visitors
- One designated inpatient visitor is permitted in a patient room at a time. The patient or their legal representative will determine the designated essential support person who can visit the hospital.
- Visitors will not be discriminated against on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.
- Patients will be advised that he/she may withdraw or deny visitation at any time.
- Visitors must be 12 years of age or older.
- All visitors will be required to wear an approved face covering at all times during their visit. Visitors who do not have such a covering will be issued one by the medical center and instructed in its proper use to ensure both mouth and nose are covered.
- Name and contact information for visitors, the date(s) of their visits, and the name of the patient(s) visited will be maintained in an electronic format by the facility for a minimum of four weeks to facilitate contact tracing. NFMMC may utilize a paper log if real-time electronic entry is not possible but must ensure that paper logs are uploaded into electronic format.
- NFMMC will provide information to visitors and/or discuss the potential risks and benefits of the visitor’s presence with the visitor and, depending upon the patient’s condition, the patient.
Visitors not permitted
- No visitors will be permitted to see a patient with an active diagnosis of COVID-19.
- Individuals that have been diagnosed with COVID-19 must be afebrile for at least 24 hours and all other symptoms improving AND at least 10 days have passed from date of diagnosis. This is without exception.
- Individuals that have been in contact with someone who is actively infected with COVID-19 or had contact with a person who is actively under investigation for COVID-19 (PUI) within 5 days. This is without exception.
- Individuals reporting symptoms or medical history that raises suspicion of possible COVID-19 during screening. This may include but is not limited to individuals experiencing shortness of breath, fever, cough or other potential COVID-19 symptoms. This is without exception.
- Any visitor who is otherwise exhibiting signs and symptoms of an illness or has an illness that could be transferred to our patients, is not permitted to visit.
- At any time during visitation hours, if it is deemed that a person is not following instructions or using proper PPE as recommended by NFMMC staff, such person will be asked to leave immediately.
- Any individual refusing to submit to screening upon entry at a facility will not be permitted visitation. This is without exception.
- Visitor Requirements
- All visitors must submit to a health screening including a temporal (forehead) scan to check their body temperature.
- Visitors with temperatures elevated above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will not be permitted to enter NFMMC’s facility.
- Visitors who clear screening must wear the screening sticker given to them at point of entry screening. This sticker must be visible at all times.
- Visitors must wear a facial mask for the duration of their time at the hospital. If a visitor does not have a facial mask, NFMMC will provide them with one. Visitors must wear a mask over their nose and mouth at all times.
- Patients must wear a mask provided by NFMMC (if possible) whenever a visitor is in the room.
- Visitors must stay in the patient’s room, except when directed to leave by hospital staff during aerosol-generating procedures or other procedures or circumstances for which visitors are usually asked to leave, or to use the restroom, and must be appropriately distanced from any other patients or staff.
- Visitors cannot accompany patients to tests outside of their room. Visitor will stay in the patient’s room or designated area.
- Visitors must practice meticulous hand hygiene at all times. All visitors are required to sanitize their hands prior to and after entry into patient room. Hand sanitizer will be made available for this purpose.
- Visitors must practice social distancing, at least 6 feet from others, including the patient they are visiting.
The purpose of these revisions is to maintain Memorial’s commitment to quality care in a safe environment.
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