Our Lady of the Angels Health Visiting Hours & Guidelines

COVID-19 Visitation Policy Update

As our ministry continues to respond to COVID-19, our highest priority remains the safety of our patients, families and team members. Prevention is the key to containment of viruses like COVID-19, which is why for your safety, Our Lady of the Angels will allow limited visitation for essential patient visitors.

Patient Visitation Guidelines

Visitors must meet certain screening criteria and adhere to guidelines in order to enter the facility. This is for your safety and the safety of those providing your care.

Our Lady of the Angels has adjusted the masking requirement to follow the Louisiana Department of Health guidelines: 

• Visitors and patients who are vaccinated are not required to wear a mask while visiting our facilities.
• If the patient and visitors are vaccinated and from the same household, no mask is needed once they are in the patient's room or in general areas throughout our facilities. Masks are encouraged in waiting rooms and when interacting with a medical provider in the patient's room.
• If the patient and/or the visitor are unvaccinated, we are asking that they wear a mask for the duration of the visit.
• Patients who are immunocompromised or seeking care for respiratory illness are encouraged to wear a mask throughout our facilities, regardless of vaccination status. 

Masks are required for ALL team members, regardless of vaccination status, during any interaction with a patient. This includes but is not limited to:

• Registration and check-in areas
• Procedural areas 
• Patient rooms
• Therapy sessions
• Long-term Care Facilities, which are required by the state to mask in all areas inside the facility unless eating or drinking.

We strongly recommend people who have chronic conditions such as diabetes, lung or heart disease or are older than 70 do not visit patients in our facilities for their own protection.

Extenuating Circumstances to the Visitor Policy:

• End of Life: Patients admitted for end-of-life evaluation and treatment, or patients being evaluated for and/or receiving hospice care, including persons under investigation, suspected COVID-19 and COVID-19 positive patients, may have immediate family members visit and the number of visitors and times for visitation will be coordinated with the Director of Nursing or House Manager.
• End of life is defined as anticipated death and/or planned withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions (e.g., ventilator).

Connecting Virtually

We understand and recognize how important the support of family and loved ones are to our patients while we care for them. We encourage our patients to visit virtually with their loved ones through cell phones so they can still be connected and feel supported during their time with us. We have iPads in the hospital to help facilitate virtual communication between patients and their loved ones who may be unable to visit at this time.