As we move into the festive season, we have updated our Visiting at Monash Health Clinical Guidelines, which will come into effect on Wednesday 13 December.
These changes recognise the important role that visitors play in the wellbeing of our patients. It also balances the need to provide a quiet and restful space that supports patient recovery and keeps our people, patients and community as safe as possible.
This change is informed by the following key principles:
- Recognising the importance of access to significant others for physical and psychosocial wellbeing of patients
- Consumers having access to visitors at end-of-life and in life-threatening situations
- Consumers having access to the carers and support people who provide them with care in their usual setting
- Having an approach that is informed and guided by Government advice and that reflects contemporary infection prevention advice and focus
- Having a consistent approach to visiting across Monash Health wherever possible
- Being flexible to accommodate local factors, environment, clinical activity and specific patient needs.
From 8 am Wednesday 13 December, the following visiting guidance will apply in most clinical settings across Monash Health:
- Two visitors will be permitted at any one time (or as negotiated with the nurse/midwife in charge, in consideration of individualised patient needs and environmental factors).
- Visitors can visit for any length of time during visiting hours unless otherwise advised by the patient’s clinical team.
- Visiting hours will be from 8 am to 8 pm. Visits outside these times are by arrangement.
- Consumers have the right to determine who may visit them and when they want to receive visitors, including the option to request no visitors.
- The number of children at the bedside may be limited according to local conditions as directed by the nurse/midwife in charge.
- Consumers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and/or with special needs may have different needs regarding visiting hours and the role of the support persons. It is the role of our team to be responsive and flexible to these needs, recognising and respecting these differences and acknowledging the important role that family and carers play for some of our patients.
As always, where patients are unable to receive visitors in person, we will encourage virtual visiting. Further information is available via the Monash Health Virtual Visiting Procedure.
Specialty areas
In addition to the above, the following area-specific conditions apply:
- Mental health: visits to take place by appointment only and in agreement with the local unit. Visiting times are 9 am to 9 pm daily excluding Oasis, which will have visiting times of 10 am to 7 pm.
- Paediatric patients: a parent/guardian may remain overnight with patients aged under 18 years.
- Residential Services: our facilities are the resident’s home, and we welcome their visitors as they would in their own home.
- Specialist Consulting and Diagnostic Imaging: up to two people may accompany a consumer to a specialist consulting appointment. Siblings of children who are attending specialist appointments may also attend if alternative arrangements are not able to be made.
While these guidelines provide important direction for managing visitation, it will be the role of our teams to determine what approach is appropriate for individual patients based on their needs and circumstances.
You will be able to refer patients and visitors to our Monash Health visitor information page, which will be updated shortly to reflect the updated visitor guidelines.
Thank you for your support as we make these adjustments. If you have any questions, speak to your manager and refer to the Visiting at Monash Health Clinical Guideline.
Approved by Professor Katrina Nankervis, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer and Executive Director, Nursing and Midwifery