H1N1 Hospital Visitation Guidelines
In efforts to protect our patients and staff who provide care to these patients from infection with flu- like illness we at Albert Einstein Medical Center, like many hospitals in our area, are limiting visitation within our network.
No visitors under 16 years of age. No one under the age of 16 is allowed in the hospital unless they are a patient or unless other circumstances have been identified by the facility.
No sick visitors. If you have fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, please stay home. Do not come to the hospital. Please call your family member or friend on the telephone; you don’t want that person to become more ill.
Patients: Ask for a mask. Wear a mask if you have flu or cold symptoms. Keep the mask covering your nose and mouth at all times please. Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough. Throw away all used tissues in trash cans.
No more than two visitors at a time. This applies to both visitors in inpatient rooms and those arriving with patients to the emergency department. It is suggested that visitors be limited to family members only. Exceptions can be made based upon critical circumstances that have been identified by the facility.
Wash your hands. Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper sleeve. Throw away used tissue in a trash can.
An exception can be made for children and sick visitors if a patient is in extremely critical condition. We will ask that those who are ill limit their visitation to as brief a time period as possible, and to wear a mask to prevent risk to other patients and staff.
We encourage families and friends, who are sick that may arrive despite our efforts to keep sickness out of the hospital, to use the telephone and camera options available in our lobbies. Through this option, visitors can be seen on the patient’s TV and speak to the patient by phone. We ask that the visitor still wear a mask while in the lobby.
Again, the best ways to prevent the spread of flu is by washing your hands often, covering your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, and by staying at home when you are ill.
