Despite a trend towards Ontario hospitals introducing 24/7 patient visiting hours, Health Sciences North is not anticipating any changes to its current visiting hours policy at this time.
In an email to Sudbury.com, hospital spokesperson Dan Lessard said that in 2014, HSN's visiting hours were expanded from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visitors are allowed to remain past these hours in exceptional circumstances, such as in palliative care.
“We made that decision based on the recommendations of a committee made up of patient advisers, employees, management and union reps,” he said.
“The feeling, especially from the patient advisers, was that extending the hours was good for the patients and families, but going to 24-7 visiting hours would be too disruptive for patients who need their rest/sleep and staff who are trying to perform their duties.
“It was felt the 12-hour window for visiting struck the right balance.”
According to a report released Jan. 17 by the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI), 28 Ontario hospitals have either switched to 24/7 visiting hours or are considering the move.
Among those on the list are a few Northern Ontario hospitals, including the North Bay Regional Health Centre, Lake of the Woods District Hospital and Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital.
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre also announced in January it is allowing visitors around the clock, as long as they are classified as care partners.
“We engaged with our patient family advisor here at the hospital and asked them what they believed they want to see as a family member and as a patient in our facility,” executive vice-president Rhonda Crocker Ellacott told TBNewswatch.com.
“They said very strongly that they believe there should be visiting hours for guests and visitors of a patient while in the hospital. However, care partners selected by the patient to support them during their hospital stay should have 24/7 access.”
A November 2015 study by the CFHI said that at the time, fewer than one in three Canadian hospitals had accommodating visiting policies, and even less offered 24/7 access to designated family members.
According to CFHI, research into the benefits of family presence shows: improved patient outcomes and experience of care; fewer medication errors and falls; better informed medical assessments and care planning; and reduced length of stay, readmissions and emergency department visits.
“Because this innovation was a culture shift for many organizations, we knew that providers, patients and families would have questions,” said Maureen O'Neil, president, CFHI, in a press release.
“Would there be too much noise? Would other patients and staff be bothered? Yet, what we have found is that these concerns haven't materialized and instead family presence has enabled loved ones to be part of the decision-making process, especially during physician rounds and helping transition from hospital to home.”
