Visiting Guidelines and Hours

Date Last Updated: 10/6/2022

Visitation Policy

Providing a healing and quiet environment for your safety and the safety of our team members is our highest priority. Our Lady of the Lake will allow patients to have an essential advocate (support person) remain at the bedside at all times, throughout the patient's hospital stay. The advocate should be the patient’s spouse or close relative who can help make health care decisions, if needed. The patient will identify their advocate’s name on admission. If the primary advocate cannot stay at the bedside, the patient may select an alternate advocate (spouse or close relative) to replace the primary advocate while he/she needs relief. Visiting hours are 8am to 8pm. If the essential advocate leaves, he/she will not be allowed back in the facility after visiting hours end at 8pm. He/she may return the next morning when visiting hours resume at 8am. (unless an overnight admit or end of life situation).

Patient Visitation Guidelines

Visitors will need to meet certain screening criteria and adhere to guidelines in order to gain entry into the facility. This is for your safety and the safety of those providing your care.

All Visitors:

• Must present a form of legal ID to receive a visitor badge or be accompanied by an adult.
• Must be 12 years of age or older. (The age limit for “end of life” cases may be adjusted if appropriate.)
• Will receive a nametag that must be worn throughout the facility.
• Will not be allowed into the facility after 8 pm or before 8 am except for overnight admits or end of life situations.

To promote a healing environment, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center may request visitors to leave at any time.

All unvaccinated visitors are asked to wear a mask while in the facility.

Inpatient Units:

Visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. All waiting rooms are closed at 8 p.m.

• Each patient is allowed one essential advocate/visitor at bedside during the entire duration of the patient's stay.
• If the essential advocate leaves, he/she will not be allowed back into the facility after visiting hours end at 8 p.m. He/she will be allowed back in when visiting hours resume at 8 a.m. (except for overnight admits or end of life situations).
• Each patient is allowed to have an unlimited number of visitors between the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. If at any time the number of visitors in a room impedes patient care, they may be asked to leave.

Intensive Care Units:

Visiting hours are 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. All waiting rooms will be closed at 8 p.m.

• Each patient is allowed one essential advocate/visitor at bedside during the entire duration of the patient's stay.
• If the essential advocate leaves, he/she will not be allowed back into the facility after visiting hours end at 8 p.m. He/she will be allowed back in when visiting hours resume at 8 a.m. (except for overnight admits or end of life situations).
• Only two additional visitors will be allowed in the ICU room at any one time (total of three) during visitation hours.
• Additional visitors may wait in the ICU Waiting Room.
• Visitors will be allowed to stay in the waiting rooms during non-visitation hours between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

COVID and Monkeypox Patients:

• Follow the standard ICU, Emergency Department or Inpatient visiting guidelines.
• Visitors must always wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while in a room.

End of Life:

(Defined as anticipated death and/or planned withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions (vents, etc.)

• Each patient is allowed one essential advocate/visitor at bedside during the entire duration of the patient's stay.
• In addition, an unlimited number of visitors will be allowed unless the number of visitors interferes with patient care.
• All children must be accompanied by an adult. Age of children visiting for end of life patients is at the discretion of the family. The minimum age allowed is 5 years old.

Emergency Department:

• One essential advocate at the beside is allowed during the duration of the emergency stay.
• One additional visitor is allowed during the emergency stay for a total of 2 visitors. 
• Swapping out visitors is not allowed unless there is an extenuating circumstance, such as end of life, trauma, an exceedingly long stay in the ER or essential advocate arrives late. These decisions will be at the discretion of the unit charge nurse on duty.

Surgery Visitors:

All surgery waiting rooms will be closed at 8 p.m.

• Each patient is allowed one essential advocate/visitor at bedside during the entire duration of the patient's stay (with the exception of during the actual surgery, procedure and recovery immediately following).
• Each patient is allowed to have an unlimited number of visitors in the waiting area during the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.