Va st cloud health care | veterans affairs

Find VA policies on privacy and patient rights, family rights, visitation, and more. Before visiting a patient at a VA facility, review these guidelines:　 VISITING HOURS: VA COMMUNITY LIVING

CENTERS (CLC), RESIDENTIAL REHABILITATION TREATMENT PROGRAM (RRTP), AND THE MH ACUTE UNIT have implemented safeguards aimed at limiting COVID-19 exposure risk for patients who reside at a

VA facility. To minimize the risk of exposure, no outside visitors will be permitted to see residents. In the CLC, the only exceptions will be in compassionate cases, when Veterans are in

their last stages of life on hospice units. In those cases, visitors will be limited to a specific Veteran’s room only. In the MH Acute Unit, by appointment only if visitor is vital to

patient’s recovery. Again, we apologize and understand the desire to visit your Veteran, and hope this situation is resolved soon. VA GENERAL VISITATION POLICY  The medical center allows a

family member, friend or other individual to be present with the patient for emotional support during the course of stay. The medical center allows for the presence of a support individual

of the patient's choice, unless the individual's presence infringes on other's rights or safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated. The individual may or may

not be the patient's surrogate decision-maker or legally authorized representative. The hospital prohibits discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language,

physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression. VISITING CHURCH MEMBERS If you’re a member of the religious community, we

encourage you to visit patients who belong to your church or religious group. However, you’re NOT allowed to do general visitation by going from bed to bed, ward to ward, or unit to unit.　

BRINGING FOOD You may bring small amounts of candy, fruit, and other food items if the nursing staff says they are appropriate for a patient's diet. You may not bring fresh fruit and

flowers to patients who are receiving critical care, and you can’t eat or drink in those units. WASHING HANDS You must follow hand-hygiene policy guidelines, which require you to practice

good hand hygiene when you enter and exit patient rooms, and at other times as directed by staff. FOLLOWING INFECTION-CONTROL GUIDELINES You must follow guidelines on infection-control signs

and report to the nurses' station for instructions before you enter a patient's room. STAYING HOME IF YOU ARE ILL If you have a communicable disease, you won't be allowed to

visit patients inside the medical center. PROHIBITED ITEMS You're not allowed to bring weapons, cameras, or other prohibited items into the medical center, except when you're 

conducting official business authorized by the Director or their designee. If you have questions about what qualifies as official business, please contact the facility's Director.　

GIVING PRIVACY Our staff may ask you to leave the room when they’re caring for patients. If a staff member asks you to leave a patient's room, you may continue your visit in the day

room, waiting area, or any other public area of the facility. VISITING SERIOUSLY ILL PATIENTS Relatives and friends may visit patients who are seriously ill or in hospice care at any time of

day, unless the staff doctor says no. VISITING PATIENTS IN RESTRAINTS In general, you won't be allowed to visit patients who are in restraints. If the treatment team decides that your

visit could have a positive effect on the patient, then you may have a supervised visit with the patient when a staff member removes the restraints. Our staff will document how the patient

responds to you and other visitors.　 BRINGING CHILDREN TO VISIT Children of all ages can visit patients at our medical center. For infection-control and safety reasons, however, children

under the age of 16 are not allowed to visit certain specialty-care units. . All children under the age of 16 must be directly supervised by an adult. Children's bedside visits are

limited to 15 minutes. VISITING PSYCHIATRIC UNITS WITH CHILDREN Children under the age of 16 may visit patients in psychiatric units with the doctor’s permission. LIMITING YOUR VISIT Our

doctors may limit, restrict, or deny visits for the medical well-being of a patient.  We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.  PROHIBITED ITEMS You can't 

bring weapons, alcohol, or illegal drugs into the building.  Because the VA medical center is federal property, all visitors and bags may be searched.   SECURITY  St. Cloud VA Health Care

System has a Police Service. Our officers provide 24-hour patrols of the facility and parking lots. All suspicious or criminal activity, vehicle accidents, and personal property losses on

facility grounds should be reported to the VA Police as soon as possible. Because the health care system is federal property, all persons and bags are subject to search. In addition, no

weapons, alcohol, or illegal drugs are permitted. Photography is not permitted at VA facilities without the permission of the medical center director. VA GENERAL VISITATION POLICY The

medical center respects the patient's right to make decisions about his or her care, treatment and services, and to involve the patient's family in care, treatment, and services

decisions to the extent permitted by the patient or surrogate decision-maker.  "Family" is defined as a group of two or more persons united by blood, or adoptive, marital, domestic

partnership, or other legal ties. The family may also be a person or persons not legally related to the individual (such as significant other, friend or caregiver) whom the individual

considers to be family. A family member may be the surrogate decision-maker, as defined in VHA Handbook 1004.02, if authorized to make care decisions for the individual, should he or she

lose decision-making capacity or choose to delegate decision making to another.  The medical center allows a family member, friend or other individual to be present with the patient for

emotional support during the course of their stay. The medical center allows for the presence of a support individual of the patient's choice, unless the individual's presence

infringes on others’ rights or safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated. The individual may or may not be the patient's surrogate decision-maker or legally authorized

representative.  The hospital prohibits discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual

orientation, and gender identity or expression.