By COLlive reporter
Effective immediately, New York hospitals must allow visitation of patient support persons, family members and/or legal representatives of patients in imminent end-of-life situations.
That is the new updated guidance by Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Department of Health after Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein and many in the frum Jewish community complained about patients separated from families in their time of need.
Under the new directive, hospitals are required to permit a patient support person at the patient bedside for patients in labor and delivery, pediatric patients, patients for whom a support person has been determined to be essential to the care of the patient (medically necessary) including patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and patients with cognitive impairments including dementia.
“During this unprecedented time, a support person for the patients described above may be critical to avoid negative health outcomes unrelated to the COVID-19 public health emergency,” the statement on Friday read.
“Given the risk of COVID-19 in healthcare settings, healthcare providers should thoroughly discuss the potential risks and benefits of a support person’s presence at the bedside with both the patient (if 18 years of age or older) and the support person.
“For those patients and support persons who through informed decision making determine a support person at the bedside is essential for the patient’s care, hospitals should develop protocols for ensuring a support person at bedside minimizes risk of potential COVID-19 transmission, including when the patient is confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19.”
Assemblyman Eichenstein, who represents Boro Park and parts of Midwood, stated: “Our hospitals are doing incredible work saving lives but with a no visitors policy, we can’t forget about patient’s families.”
Only applies to those “in imminent end-of-life situations.”
The issue is having family there beforehand to PREVENT it from getting to that life-or-death state!
Mandates arent so becoming when they are directed at YOU and people YOU love !
This will be a shameful time in history for the medical community to look back on. They’re going above and beyond on one hand, but have completely ignored the fact that humans are physical AND emotional beings and they have blood on their hands when patients don’t have the emotional support of family to give them strength to heal. Patients are giving up and dying with nobody around them! If they’re DR’s working to save lives, give patients what they need! Test the visitors if needed, just find a way for visitors!!!
Unfortunately this comes too late for the many that have died alone without anyone from their caring family at their side.
I’m confused by this I understand hardship but this is a highly contagious disease. Very good reasons for isolating patients
And people who are immunocompromised SHOULD NOT be visiting
If only my grandfather had visiters he maybe would have recovered
If they can figure out a safe way to allow medical personnel to treat patients with covid19, they can surely arrange the same thing for patient’s families who are just as vital, and why wait until it’s too late.
Whoever is behind this cruel inhumane and life damaging policy of no visitors will eventually be brought to justice. They had better change it earlier rather than later.
Look up PPE doffing sequence to see just how complicated it is to keep them safe from the virus
When my loved one was going through chemo treatments at Sloan Kettering, u heard from docs and nurses that the frum patients had better outcomes and they attributed that to the support they received from family, friends and community