Governor Ron DeSantis (Florida) Signs Bill to Guarantee Visitation Rights for Patients and their Families

FLGov.com ^ | 6 April 2022 | DeSantis Staff

[CodeToad]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 988, the No Patient Left Alone Act, to guarantee Florida families the fundamental right to visit their loved ones who are receiving care in hospitals, hospices, and long-term care facilities. No health care facility in Florida may require a vaccine as a condition of visitation and every health care facility must allow their residents and patients to be hugged by their loved ones.

...

Although the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reinstated federal visitation protections for long term care facilities in late 2020, CMS continues to waive visitation policies for hospitals enabling them to not allow visitors for patients.

...

SB 988 states health care facilities must allow in-person visitation in all of the following circumstances, unless the resident, client, or patient objects:

• End-of-life situations.

• A resident, client, or patient who was living with family before being admitted to the provider’s care is struggling with the change in environment and lack of in-person family support.

• A resident, client, or patient is making one or more major medical decisions.

• A resident, client, or patient is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died.

• A resident, client, or patient needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family member or caregiver.

• A resident, client, or patient who used to talk and interact with others is seldom speaking. For hospitals, childbirth, including labor and delivery. Pediatric patients.

...

By May 6, all Florida hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled must adopt and publicly post their visitation policy in an easily accessible format on the home page of their website.

[CodeToad]

This law is from April 2022, but I didn't see it posted.

This is a critically important law in Florida as the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) forced patients to die alone by denying hospital and long term care facility visitation rights throughout the US.

This is Florida fighting back against the out of control federal government with Governor DeSantis leading the charge.

[George from New England]

LONG OVERDUE — thank you Ron, God bless.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

How to rate a hospital.

Will they let you be in the hospital with your loved one? Let you in to see your loved one during visiting hours. May restrict the number of people at a time. Lets one person stay over night if you want.

Probably a good hospital. Keep an eye out, everyone makes mistakes but you can be confident they are not purposefully neglectful.

2.Let you in but only under certain restrictive conditions. Will not allow you to stay overnight.

Be wary. Might be ok but might want to consider going somewhere else for care.

3. Only one visitor allowed. Ever. And only for a short time. If that person is not available no one may visit.

Danger! Danger! They are getting ready to neglect your loved one.

4. No visitors.

Do not even consider.

[George from New England]

I personally blocked a medicare plan choice because Advent Health has a history of blocking your personal priest from visiting you in their facility.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

BTTT.

[heavy metal]

4 more years...

desantis for florida governor 2022...

florida first!... 😎

[CodeToad]

“4 more years...desantis for florida governor 2022...florida first!... 😎”

You bet! Let Trump take 2024 then follow up with 8 years of DeSantis.

[heavy metal]

trump/musk revenge tour 2024...

our turn to nominate an ineligible african-american...

[Joe Brower]

Florida Freeper

I'm compiling a list of FReepers interested in Florida-related topics.
If you want to be added, please FReepMail me.

[mewzilla]

DeSantis, if you really want to put paid to this crap, find out what’s going on with the nosocomial spread of CoupFlu in your healthcare and residential care settings.

The public needs to know if their vaxx mandated caregivers are superspreaders.

[FamiliarFace]

About time!

My brother died with a stranger who clocked in for the day supposedly holding his hand as he passed, but because no one else was allowed to be there, how do we even know if that was true? We had no choice but to accept that someone was with him at the moment he was called by the Lord. Heart breaking.

[GailA]

BTT

[entropy12]

That is the most beautiful pic of sky !!
I am using it on my laptop. Thanks!!

[Roos_Girl]

Sorry, off topic, but I am having difficulty finding info in Florida regarding hospice requiring a patient to sign over all medical decisions to Hospice before Hospice will accept them for home visits/care. Can anyone point me to info on this?

[CodeToad]

That will probably be a hospice by hospice contractual thing.

[flaglady47]

“You bet! Let Trump take 2024 then follow up with 8 years of DeSantis.”

Sounds like a plan, a great one!

[mewzilla]

Meanwhile, also Florida related...

Democrats Are Holding a ‘Leadership Conference’… Guess Who It’s Sponsored By.

Pfizer.