COVID-19 Update: The hospital has not resumed open visitation, but is easing some visiting restrictions to support our patients. Eligible inpatients may receive two visitors over the age of 18 each day, while adhering to strict guidelines during visitor hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Current Requirements for Visiting During COVID-19 are provided in detail below.
Send an Inpatient Your Best Wishes: If you have a family member or friend currently in either of MAHC’s hospital sites, you can bring a smile to their face by using our complimentary best wishes service to get a message delivered to their bedside through a form on our website at www.mahc.ca/BestWishes/
Visitor Requirements During COVID-19
Eligible inpatients are permitted two visitors each day between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Visitors must be 18 years of age or older, unless an exception has been granted. Visiting may commence after the inpatient has received a negative COVID-19 swab result, if it has been required. To ensure everyone’s safety, visitors must abide by the following visiting requirements to reduce risks associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:
- Screen negative for COVID-19 upon entering the hospital
- Provide a phone number for contact tracing, if it is necessary
- Go directly to the inpatient’s room and refrain from travelling around other parts of the hospital
- Wear their hospital-issued ‘visitor’ sticker at all times
- Wear a hospital-issued mask for the entire visit except to eat or drink
- Wear additional protective equipment, if necessary
- Ensure the patient wears a mask while the visitors are present
- Clean their hands often to reduce the risk of infection
- Maintain two metres (six feet) distance from others at all times
- Maintain minimal occurrences of exit and re-entry to the hospital within the same day.
- Respect visiting hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For everyone’s safety, outdoor visiting with a patient on hospital grounds must be approved in advance. Additional exceptions are considered for critically ill or palliative patients. Failure to abide by these requirements will result in restricting the visitor from visiting.
Open visitation has not resumed. MAHC regrets that visitors are not permitted for outpatients except for special circumstances where a support person is necessary.
As the pandemic continues, should the community level of COVID-19 risk increase or MAHC’s personal protective equipment supplies become strained, visitor restrictions may be initiated once again.
Items Brought in From Home
Your comfort is extremely important. Clean items to support your stay can be dropped off at the hospital entrance. Please ask your family member or friend to call the nursing unit in advance to arrange the drop-off time with the nurse. We ask that items are placed in a clean container or clean plastic bag that can be wiped (i.e. not fabric).
Food Brought in From Home
If someone is bringing you food from home, please ask them to send a single serving size that is microwavable in a disposable container. The container must be labelled with the patient name, item description, the date the food was prepared, and a best before date that is three days after preparation.
Scent- and Fragrance-Free
MAHC is a scent-free environment. Please be kind to all of our patients by not wearing scented personal products (perfume, cologne, lotion, hairspray, etc.) and avoiding heavily-scented flowers. Please use personal products that are scent-free and fragrance-free on the day of your visit.
Latex Balloons, Poinsettias and Lilies Prohibited
- MAHC is also latex free because of allergies. If you bring balloons, please make sure they are made of Mylar.
- The Poinsettia plant (Euphorbia Pulcherrima) belongs to the same plant family as the Brazilian rubber tree, from which latex is obtained. Although they are beautiful to look at, Poinsettias are prohibited as they may cause severe reactions among people who have latex allergies. If you are in hospital and have a latex allergy, please advise a member of your care team.
- As well, the lily flower is prohibited in all areas of the hospital. Its strong scent can cause rashes or difficulty breathing for those who have scent allergies.
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