Sodalis Visitation Policy

SODALIS SENIOR LIVING – VISITATION POLICY 

PLEASE NOTE THAT VISITATION HOURS ARE UNRESTRICTED. If the doors are locked,  please ring the doorbell and staff will assist you. Doors may be secured at various  hours but are typically open between the hours of 8am and 8pm. 

Visitors 

Our communities currently have no visitor restrictions. 

Visitors might include: 

  • Family members and loved ones of residents at the end‐of‐life, no restrictions of  length of time, age or number of visitors; 
  • Essential Caregivers; 
  • Total number of visitors must meet or exceed license specific criteria, if applicable; The right to private and uncensored communication, including, but not  limited to receiving and sending unopened correspondence, access to a  telephone, visiting with any person of the resident’s choice during visiting  hours, overnight visitation outside the facility with the family and friends in  accordance with facility policies, physician orders, and Title XVIII (Medicare)  and Title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act regulations without the  resident’s losing his or her bed. In accordance with 400.022(1)(b) and  429.28(1)(d). Florida State Law. 
  • Consensual physical contact is allowed between visitors and a resident; • Emergency Responders; 
  • Persons with legal authority to enter, including: 
  • Government personnel performing their official duties, including surveyors whose  presence is necessary to ensure the ALF is protecting the health safety of residents  and providing appropriate care; 
  • Law enforcement officers and; 
  • Representatives of the Long‐term Care Ombudsman’s Office and representatives  of Disability Rights; and 
  • Providers of essential services which include contract doctors, contract nurses,  home health and hospice workers, health care professionals, contract professionals, 

clergy members and spiritual counselors, whose services are necessary to ensure  resident health and safety. 

This list is not exhaustive. A facility must use its best judgment to determine which  persons are “essential” to protect the health and safety of a resident. The Executive  Director will be responsible to uphold staff adherence to all visitation policies and  procedures, the Health and Wellness Director will act as the second in line to enforce  the above policy and procedures. 

Furthermore, an ALF can have scheduled visits and unscheduled visits. See Expansion  of Reopening Visitation at 26 TAC §553.2003 (Texas) for all requirements. 

Regulatory Requirement/References 

We adhere to the Florida Statute 408.823 – “No Patient Left Alone Act”

     1. End of Life Situations 

  1. A resident, client, or patient who was living with family before being admitted  to the provider’s care is struggling with the change in environment and lack of  in-person family support. 
  2. The resident, client, or patient is making one or more major medical decisions. 4. A resident, client, or patient is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the  loss of a friend or family member who recently died. 
  3. A resident, client, or patient needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink  which was previously provided by a family member or caregiver. 
  4. A resident, client, or patient who used to talk and interact with others is  seldom speaking. 
  5. Rules 7 and 8 don’t apply to our setting they apply to infants and children and  are not listed. 

Please reference the posted “No Patient Left Alone Act” in each community  for further details. 

*The policies and procedures may require a visitor to agree in writing to follow  our policies and procedures. We may suspend in-person visitation of a specific  visitor if the visitor violates policy and procedures.  

Activities and Dining 

Some examples of visitors joining in activities and dining: 

  • A small group, such as members from a local club or a group of high school students  who volunteer to participate in an activity with residents, such as putting up  decorations or putting on a performance. 
  • Family joining a resident for a meal at an individual family table, are allowed. • ALF staff taking residents in community buses to an event or an outing.

Memory Care Units and Alzheimer’s Certified Units 

Infection prevention strategies to prevent the spread of communicable diseases are  especially challenging to implement in dedicated memory care units and Alzheimer’s  certified units where numerous residents with cognitive impairment reside together.  

These residents can have a difficult time following recommended infection  prevention practices. 

Changes to resident routines, disruptions in daily schedules, use of unfamiliar  equipment, or working with unfamiliar caregivers can lead to fear and anxiety,  resulting in increased depression and behavioral changes such as agitation,  aggression, or wandering. We follow recommended guidance from the CDC for  considerations regarding residents with dementia, in memory care or Alzheimer’s  certified units. 

Salon Services Visitors 

Sodalis can allow a salon services visitor (barber, beautician, or cosmetologist  providing hair care or personal grooming services to a resident) to enter the facility  to provide hair care or personal grooming services. 

The salon requirements for salon visits. 

  • Inform the salon services visitor of applicable policies, procedures, and  requirements; 
  • Maintain documentation of the salon services visitor’s agreement to follow policies, procedures and requirements; 
  • Maintain documentation of the salon services. 
  • Document the identity of each salon services visitor in the facility’s records;  authority, that is more restrictive than this rule the community in that area will abide  by that rule. 

Immunization/Illness Policies 

Residents that become ill may still have visitors of any age, but their visitors will be  encouraged to wear PPE but is not mandatory depending on the illness. Sodalis can  ask about a visitor’s about their vaccination status but must not require any visitor to  provide documentation of their vaccination status as a condition of visitation or to  enter the facility. A personal visitor may refuse to provide information about their  vaccination status. All Sodalis communities are private businesses and consult with  their Legal and Human Resources to address state and federal mandates regarding  vaccines. 

Residents and Staff regarding COVID-19 

  • Screenings are no longer required for residents, visitors, or staff. o Residents and staff are asked to report if they feel feverish or have  symptoms of respiratory infection.
  • If a resident tests positive increased infection control measures are  implemented including quarantine as applicable according to the CDC  quarantine tool to determine need and length, also Sodalis policies are  followed.
  • Residents and visitors are informed of the facility’s infection control policies  and procedures related to visitation as needed.
  • Comfortable and safe outside visitation areas are provided, considering  outside air temperature and ventilation.
  • Visits can occur where adequate space is available as necessary to ensure  physical distancing between other residents and visitors when and if  necessary.
  • Handwashing stations or hand sanitizer is available for visitors and residents  before and after visits.
  • Visits are facilitated in a way that allows cleaning and sanitizing in common  visitation areas.

Staff 

  • Staff must always wear proper PPE when caring for residents with infectious diseases. 
  • Encourage staff who are ill to stay home Sodalis enforces sick leave policies  that do not penalize staff with loss of status, wages, or benefits per company  policy.
  • Require staff with symptoms of infectious diseases to report sick by phone  or other virtual method consistent with facility policy. Per CDC guidance,  asymptomatic staff who have higher risk of exposure may not need to be  restricted from work. Use of the CDC Risk Assessment tool will be used in  certain circumstances.

Vaccinations 

  • Sodalis will offer a complete series of vaccines for both residents and staff,  document each resident’s choice to vaccinate or not to vaccinate (“Offer” in  this context means to administer, arrange/assist, or educate/give information about recommended vaccines from the CDC for the elderly population in our  communities and document the resident’s choice to vaccinate or not  vaccinate);
  • Sodalis does NOT currently require certain vaccinations for Staff, Residents  or Visitors.

PPE 

  • PPE is available in areas where care is provided to residents with infectious  disease and residents with presumed positive infectious disease.
  • A trash can will be near the exit inside the resident room to make it easy for staff to discard PPE prior to exiting the room.
  • Visitors will be encouraged to wear PPE during visitation with a resident that  has an infectious disease.

Cleaning and Disinfecting 

  • Increased environmental cleaning by disinfecting all frequently touched  surfaces such as doorknobs/handles, elevator buttons, bathroom  surfaces/fixtures, remote controls, and wheelchairs during times of outbreak.
  • EPA grade disinfectants will be used for wipe down and cleaning.
  • Supplies for recommended hand hygiene, have alcohol‐based hand  sanitizer with 60–95 percent alcohol easily accessible, sinks are well stocked  with soap and paper towels for hand washing.
  • Further Infection control policy and procedures are available at the  community for review that cover specific infectious diseases.

Leaving and Returning 

  • Residents have the right to leave and return to the facility for any reason, and the facility cannot restrict residents from exercising this right.
  • The facility has a responsibility to inform residents of the importance of safety precautions like avoiding crowds, washing hands often and maintaining physical distancing from others whenever possible, so ensure that the resident  is making an informed decision. This can be done in a group setting or through  literature. 

Revised 02/24/2025

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