Policies

VA Maine Healthcare System

Covid-19 Visitation Guidance

Updated 7/21/2022

Our priority is to provide exceptional care to every Veteran within our VA Maine Healthcare System in the safest and kindest way possible, while also helping to prevent ongoing community spread of COVID-19. Please note that as we continue to monitor COVID-19 in our community the below guidelines may be updated for the safety and care of everyone, in keeping with National CDC recommendations.

• As a reminder, everyone who enters a VA Maine facility must meet Covid-19 screening requirements, perform hand sanitizing, and wear face mask at all times in the facility.
• Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms or who have had an exposure within the past 10 days – regardless of vaccination or testing status – will have a secondary clinical screening prior to being allowed entry.

Visitor/support person will be allowed at VA Maine locations based on the below guidance:

     Emergency Department: 

• Patients may have one support person.
• Additional visitor(s) may be approved by Care Team as they deem appropriate.

Acute Inpatient:

• One visitor at a time. Additional visitor(s) may be approved by Care Team as they deem appropriate.
• Perform hand hygiene prior to entering and upon leaving the patient’s room.
• Visitors must be over 2 yrs. of age, clear entry screening and wear a face mask at all times.

COVID Positive: 

• No visitors except for compassionate care, to be managed by Care Team.

Community Living Center:

• Compassionate Care visitation limited to two visitors at a time. Additional visitor(s) may be approved by Care Team as they deem appropriate.
• All other visitation will occur in a dedicated location by appointment per National VHA CLC Guidance.
• Visitors must be over 2 yrs. of age, clear entry screening and wear a face mask at all times.

Outpatient clinics and Same-Day Procedures: 

• Patients may have one support person.
• Additional visitor(s) may be approved by Care Team as they deem appropriate.

NOTE: Children under 2 years old are not permitted, except when accompanying a Veteran to an outpatient appointment or receiving emergent care in the Emergency Department until alternate care can be arranged.

Before visiting a patient at a VA facility, review these guidelines:　

PLEASE NOTE: Visitation policies may be more restrictive during the COVID-19 pandemic, please speak to your provider regarding these changes. 

Visiting hours:

Call the medical center for specific ward visiting hours and information.
Togus VA Medical Center: 207-623-8411

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're not allowed to bring weapons, cameras, or other prohibited items into the medical center, except when you're conducting official business authorized by the Director or their designee. If you have questions about what qualifies as official business, please contact the facility's Director.　

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. 

Prohibited items
You can't bring weapons, alcohol, or illegal drugs into the building.  Because the VA medical center is federal property, all visitors and bags may be searched.  

Security 
The Togus VA Medical Center campus has a police service. Our officers provide 24-hour patrols of the facility and parking lots. For general police assistance, please dial 877-421-8263, ext. 5333. In case of an emergency, dial 911. 

Report all suspicious or criminal activity, vehicle accidents, and personal property losses to the VA Police while on the facility grounds as soon as possible. Because the VA Maine Healthcare System is federal property, all persons and bags are subject to search. In addition, no weapons, alcohol, or illegal drugs are permitted.