Personal Pet Visitation
V. The degree of restriction should take into consideration the
patient's health and mental status, the patient's prognosis,
and factors related to the animal (eg, age).
VI. Healthcare facilities that permit a single pet visitation to a
patient should have a written policy that includes the following:
A. Approval should be obtained from IPC, as well as the patient's
attending physician and nurse. Approval for the visit should be included
in the medical record, with details about the animal, as well as the
person responsible for the animal's transport and care.
B. Visitation should be restricted to dogs. Animals should be at least one
year of age and housebroken. Visitation by younger animals could be
considered on a case-by-case basis considering the age of the animal,
the species, and potential benefits and risks to the patient.
C. Written information should be provided to the animal's owner/
designee. This document must specify the following:
1. The approved date, time, and location of visitation.
2. The maximum duration of visitation of one hour.
3. Acceptable and unacceptable practices of the visiting animal are similar to an
animal-assisted activities visit.
4. Pre-visitation requirements of the owner/designee are similar to an animal-assisted
activities visit.
5. The owner or guardian of the animal is responsible to supervise the animal at all
times, prevent contact of other individuals with the animal, promptly clean up any
fecal or urine accidents that occur, supervise the visitation process, and report any
events (eg, bite, scratch) to HCP.
D. In general, visitation should NOT be permitted in the following
situations:
1. Patients on contact or droplet isolation.
2. Patients in an intensive care unit (ICU).
3. Patients whose cognitive status would result in an inability to safely interact with
the animal, unless it can be certain that the patient will only be able to see, not
touch, the animal.
4. Visitation of patients who have undergone recent solid organ or stem cell
transplant or who are significantly immunocompromised.
5. In some situations, these exclusions can be reconsidered by IPC and clinical
personnel based on the risk to the patient, others in the healthcare facility or
patient's household, and the anticipated benefits to the patient from pet visitation.
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