Va central texas health care | veterans affairs

Find VA policies on privacy and patient rights, family rights, visitation, and more. Before visiting a patient at a VA facility, review these guidelines:　 VISITING HOURS: Visitation is

allowed 24 hours a day in most inpatient areas. Since visiting hours are based on the needs of the patient, there may be times when visitors will be required to discuss special visiting

hours with the unit’s nurse manager. Other exceptions are the Intensive Care Unit, located at the Temple facility, Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs at both Waco and Temple

facilities, and the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, located at the Waco facility. After normal administrative hours, visitors should register with Police Service at the Police substation

located on the first floor of the Teague Hospital to the right of the main lobby and just before the elevators. VISITING CHURCH MEMBERS If you’re a member of the religious community, we

encourage you to visit patients who belong to your church or religious group. However, you’re NOT allowed to do general visitation by going from bed to bed, ward to ward, or unit to unit.　

BRINGING FOOD You may bring small amounts of candy, fruit, and other food items if the nursing staff says they are appropriate for a patient's diet. You may not bring fresh fruit and

flowers to patients who are receiving critical care, and you can’t eat or drink in those units. WASHING HANDS You must follow hand-hygiene policy guidelines, which require you to practice

good hand hygiene when you enter and exit patient rooms, and at other times as directed by staff. FOLLOWING INFECTION-CONTROL GUIDELINES You must follow guidelines on infection-control signs

and report to the nurses' station for instructions before you enter a patient's room. STAYING HOME IF YOU ARE ILL If you have a communicable disease, you won't be allowed to

visit patients inside the medical center. PROHIBITED ITEMS You cannot bring weapons, alcohol, or illegal drugs into the building.  Because the VA medical center is federal property, all

visitors and bags may be searched.  GIVING PRIVACY Our staff may ask you to leave the room when they’re caring for patients. If a staff member asks you to leave a patient's room, you

may continue your visit in the day room, waiting area, or any other public area of the facility. VISITING SERIOUSLY ILL PATIENTS Relatives and friends may visit patients who are seriously

ill or in hospice care at any time of day, unless the staff doctor says no. VISITING PATIENTS IN RESTRAINTS In general, you won't be allowed to visit patients who are in restraints. If

the treatment team decides that your visit could have a positive effect on the patient, then you may have a supervised visit with the patient when a staff member removes the restraints. Our

staff will document how the patient responds to you and other visitors.　 BRINGING CHILDREN TO VISIT Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Minimum age for ICU

visitation is 14, unless approved by the staff physician and/or nurse manager. This policy also includes the summer youth volunteers who may volunteer at the age of 13 and are restricted

from working in the ICU units. VISITING PSYCHIATRIC UNITS WITH CHILDREN Children under the age of 16 may visit patients in psychiatric units with the doctor’s permission. LIMITING YOUR VISIT

Our doctors may limit, restrict, or deny visits for the medical well-being of a patient.  We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.  SECURITY  The VA police 

patrol the buildings and parking lots every hour of every day. For general police assistance, please dial 44911 in Temple and 53911 in Waco. In case of an emergency, dial 4111 or 5111. VA

GENERAL VISITATION POLICY The medical center respects the patient's right to make decisions about his or her care, treatment and services, and to involve the patient's family in

care, treatment, and services decisions to the extent permitted by the patient or surrogate decision-maker.  "Family" is defined as a group of two or more persons united by blood,

or adoptive, marital, domestic partnership, or other legal ties. The family may also be a person or persons not legally related to the individual (such as significant other, friend or

caregiver) whom the individual considers to be family. A family member may be the surrogate decision-maker, as defined in VHA Handbook 1004.02, if authorized to make care decisions for the

individual, should he or she lose decision-making capacity or choose to delegate decision making to another.  The medical center allows a family member, friend or other individual to be

present with the patient for emotional support during the course of their stay. The medical center allows for the presence of a support individual of the patient's choice, unless the

individual's presence infringes on others’ rights or safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated. The individual may or may not be the patient's surrogate

decision-maker or legally authorized representative.  The hospital prohibits discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability,

socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.