Guidelines for Preventing Infections while Visiting
Hospitals and healthcare facilities care for many patients who can easily catch an infection. When visiting a relative or friend at Riverside Medical Center, there are many things you can do to help prevent the spread of infections.
- Do not visit if you are not feeling well or are sick with: fever, cold, cough, rash, body aches, sore throat, diarrhea or are throwing up.
- Always wash your hands before eating and after using the bathroom.
- Follow the visiting hours.
- Limit the number of visitors.
- Wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and after entering the patient’s room or place of care.
- Wear clean clothes.
- Do not sit on the patient’s bed.
- Avoid using the patient’s toilet.
- Before bringing gifts, food and other personal items, ask what is allowed. Some patient care units may not allow flowers/plants/fresh fruits and others may prefer you do not bring in food.
- Avoid adding to clutter in the patient’s room which makes cleaning the patient’s room/area difficult.
- Talk to the patient’s nurse if you have concerns about the cleanliness of the room.
- Do not touch the patient’s wound(s), devices or any hospital equipment in the room.
- If you are worried or have any questions, speak with your relative’s/friend’s nurse.
