SHA provides new guidelines for visitation during pandemic

The Saskatchewan Health Authority has updated its visitation restrictions for long-term care homes and hospitals.

Currently, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, visits to SHA facilities for patients and residents are allowed only for compassionate reasons. But now the authority has expanded that definition.

Scott Livingstone, the CEO of the SHA, said Wednesday any relaxation of guidelines holds some risk, but it’s necessary.

“Based on what we’re seeing in the province today with low numbers and the management of outbreaks to date, as well as the needs of clients and residents and patients in our facilities, we feel that it’s warranted to very cautiously, slowly, under direct supervision with well-organized policies and planning, to do this,” Livingstone said during a media conference.

Dr. Susan Shaw, the SHA’s chief medical health officer in Saskatoon, said the SHA recognizes health is more than just physical health.

“It’s emotional, spiritual and mental health as well,” she said. “And quality of life is important to all of us and it’s perhaps more important to those who are living in a care home for whatever reason they need to be.”

Shaw explained that, within the new guidelines, SHA officials are asking families to work with care staff to figure out what’s best for their loved ones.

“We’re trying to create some limited flexibility while recognizing there’s always going to be that tension, sadly, between what we want to happen and what needs to happen right now,” Shaw said.

A panel made up of patient and family advisers, along with public health and infection prevention and control experts, was assembled to update the guidelines.

Livingstone said the biggest concerns he has been hearing that has helped spur the policy changes were around patients and residents with neurological disorders like dementia. He said there are family members who go to a facility every day to help with daily activities.

“That has been, by far, the single-biggest concern, not just the angst of what’s going on but their worry about people regressing or moving backwards in their care because of not having that regular visit from the loved one that had been so essential to the day-to-day care,” Livingstone said.

The new criteria have already started to be used, but could take a few days to be fully implemented and understood across the province.

New guidelines

The guidelines include taking quality of life needs into account for long-term care patients when looking at daily needs which may not be able to be met by staff.

Such needs could be met by a designated family member or support person, with two people designated but only one allowed at a time.

Outdoor visits with more than one person are also now allowed for long-term care patients. Visitors must wear a mask and physically distance.

The visiting allowance previously only applied to those patients who were a high risk for loss of life, but now the compassionate care allowance also applies to all critical care and intensive care patients.

In those cases one family member or support person will be allowed, and a second one could attend if there’s an ability to physically distance.

One family member or support person will also be allowed for those undergoing major surgery, including cardiac surgeries and cancer surgeries.

Maternal units will now allow one family member or support person. That will have to be the same person through the whole hospital stay, and they should plan not to leave the hospital. Neonatal and pediatric units will allow two people at a time.

One support person will be allowed for any facility where the patient has special needs when it comes to things like comprehension, decision-making or mobility issues.

Once designated, the family or support person will have to undergo screening, maintain hand hygiene, wear a mask and have their temperature taken before entering the facility. They won’t be allowed to wait in common areas.

The SHA has created a method to assist care teams with knowing when a patient or long-term care resident can have a family member or support person with them. Those individuals will have to follow screening protocols, hand hygiene and limited movement within a site.

All outpatients and family members/support persons taking part in these visits will be provided with a medical-grade mask and will be asked to wear it while in SHA homes and facilities.