Local Hospital Makes Decision to Not Allow Visitors

If you are in a position that you need to be hospitalized during a pandemic, do you want people to be able to visit you? Should a hospital be allowed to say that no one can visit, under any circumstances?

Obviously, hospital administrations cannot make these decisions lightly, one local hospital went a step further and (via their website) decided to strictly limit visitors even more than they had been.

As of November 6, 2020 Vassar Brothers Hospital in Poughkeepsie (one of the Nuvance Medical facilities) stated that they because of an increase in Covid-19 cases in the local area surrounding the hospital, that they would no longer allow visitors "for any patients at Vassar Brothers Medical Center unless extenuating circumstances apply. This is out of an abundance of caution and to ensure a healthy and safe environment for our patients and staff. "

Please note that the changes in the Vassar policy had already gone effect at the Sharon, Danbury, Norwalk, and New Milford CT locations for Nuvance last month.

The above statement mentioned 'extenuating circumstances,' but what does that cover?

Just a few of the extenuating circumstances include a family member with a minor child, being the care giver of someone who needs assistance because of a disability, and imminent end of life situations. These are just a few of the situations where limited visitor contact can take place with hospital approval.

Part of that approval process will include partaking in a Covid screening, showing a government issued photo-ID (for contact tracing) and you will need to wear a face mask the entire time you are at the hospital. As to the particular type of face covering, the guidelines listed by the hospital are pretty specific as to what they do not allow (which is everything but a face mask). What are you asked not to wear? The visitor policy says the following are not ok, "a mask with a valve, or a bandana, scarf, or any other type of face covering."

For full details about visiting patients at Vassar Brothers Hospital or one of the other Nuvance hospitals, click here.

If you or anyone of your family members do need to be hospitalized at this time, we will be hoping for a swift and healthy recovery.