Important Information on our COVID-19 Policies- Hospice of Cincinnati

Below are our visitation policies for patients in Inpatient Care Centers, and our protocol for face-to-face visits by our staff to your home.

Inpatient Care Center visitors

The following visitation restrictions are now in effect for our Inpatient Care Centers:

• No children under 14 years old will be allowed entry.
• One visitor per patient each day.
  • For those patients who are near end of life (1-3 days), no more than two visitors per day.
  • Other visitors must wait outside or in your vehicle and cannot wait inside the Inpatient Care Center or Lobby.
• Visitors should bring their own cloth masks or other masks.
• Each visitor must pass the screening questions on the sign-in sheet.
  • Anyone with a fever greater than 100.4° will not be allowed to visit.
  • If you have a fever of 100.4° or greater, we will encourage a virtual visit via Facetime on mobile phones and devices.
  • Please see the list of screening questions below.

If your loved one is in one of our 4 Inpatient Care Centers, we will update the designated key family member or Power of Attorney twice daily.  We ask that you share our update with other family members and loved ones. If your loved one’s condition changes and we believe they are in the 3-day window, we will notify you and encourage visitation following the above guidelines.

Spread of this new virus is concerning for all of us. We understand that communication with your loved one is incredibly important, and we encourage you to communicate with them in other ways, including by telephone, video chat, e-mail or social media. We are happy to help you with this. Please notify the Inpatient Care Center for assistance.

One way to stay connected during visitor restrictions due to COVID-19 is to visit with your loved one through the window of their room. Please use the map found here to locate the correct room at the Margret J. Thomas Inpatient Care Center in Blue Ash.

Protocol for Hospice staff visits to patients’ homes

Your safety, and that of your family and caregivers, is our primary concern. We encourage you to be mindful of contact with others that have symptoms of fever and respiratory illness. Limiting exposure to the virus can only happen by restricting your visitors.

When we visit, we will ask you questions regarding your health and the health of those with whom you are in contact. These are the same questions every health care organization in the city is asking, and are recommended by our Governor and the CDC. These questions include:

• Have you or anyone in your household traveled internationally within the last 14 days to countries with sustained community transmission? (We will review a list of these countries with you.) For more information, visit the CDC page on travel. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/
• Have you had contact with:

• • Anyone with signs or symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as a fever, cough, and sore throat?
  • Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or greater?
  • Someone with or under investigation for COVID-19, or who is ill with a respiratory illness in the last 14 days?
  • Someone who resides in a community where community-based spread of COVID-19 is occurring?

We understand that you may have concerns about our staff coming to your home. Rest assured that we are following precautions recommended by the CDC to keep both you and our staff healthy so that we can continue to care for you and keep you safe.

For reliable information about COVID-19, including how to take precautions to avoid catching or spreading the disease, we recommend the CDC website. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

If you have questions for us, don’t hesitate to call (513) 891-7700.