International "Pop-Up Coalition" Advocates For Preserving Family Presence In Hospitals And Long-Term Care Communities

DERBY, Conn., May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- New recommendations for family presence in hospitals, long-term care communities and other care settings during the COVID-19 outbreak were released today. They were developed by an international "pop-up coalition" of more than 60 leading organizations and voices in the field. The recommendations advocate for a compassionate approach to visitation that balances the benefits of family's physical presence with a loved one and the need to minimize the risks of transmission of COVID-19. The recommendations are available at https://bit.ly/familypresence to provide guidance to healthcare leaders and local and regional authorities on what constitutes responsible, compassionate family presence during – and in the aftermath of – a pandemic.

The Coalition to Preserve Family Presence included patient, resident, family and elder advocates, experts in quality, safety and infection control, clinicians, policymakers and leading voices in person-centered care from organizations across the globe including the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services,  National Quality Forum, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), Institute for Patient and Family-Centered Care, American Nurses Association, American College of Healthcare Administrators, Planetree International and Pioneer Network.  Members convened for a rapid response to the current state of family presence restrictions that have emerged since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In some cases, these restrictions have prevented the most vulnerable from having a familiar support person by their side during childbirth, at the end-of-life, and during pediatric emergencies. 

"Now is not the time to erode the tremendous progress that has been made to create more person-centered healthcare systems and environments," said Penny Cook, Pioneer Network's President and CEO. "As a coalition representing a range of perspectives, we have developed recommendations that demonstrate there are reasonable approaches for maintaining both safety and person-centeredness, even during a pandemic." Pioneer Network joined forces with Planetree International to convene the coalition.

"When we sounded the call to healthcare leaders to collaborate on these recommendations for preserving family presence during a pandemic, the response was overwhelming," added Susan Frampton, PhD, President of Planetree International. "Colleagues around the world were supportive, swift and eager to address the unfortunate unintended consequences that occur when vulnerable patients and long-term care residents are deprived of their loved one's presence in the times they need them most."

The recommendations emphasize the importance of considering not only the risk that family presence may pose to the staff, patients, residents and loved ones, but also the risk that restrictions may create for the physical, emotional and psychological health of these same individuals. In particular, the Guidelines address concerns, in the short and long term, for cases of pediatric care, childbirth, end-of-life and for individuals who medically require family at the bedside, including those who are non-verbal or cognitively impaired.

To download the Guidelines for Preserving Family Presence, please visit https://bit.ly/familypresence.

Contact:
Sara Guastello
203-732-7171
[email protected]

SOURCE Planetree International