Visiting protocol
An Accredited Visitor is a heart patient or family member of a heart patient and in good standing with The Mended Hearts, Inc. (MHI) Accredited Visitors must follow the visiting protocol.
VISITING PROTOCOL
A. Accredited Visitors are members who have recovered from their surgery, procedure or episode or who are parents or primary caregivers of children with congenital heart disease, and have taken the The Mended Hearts, Inc. Visitor Accreditation training course and any required local hospital training.
B. Accredited Visitors may also be members who do not have heart disease, but were caregivers of a cardiovascular disease patient. When visiting a patient, they should be accompanied by an Accredited Visitor who has been a heart patient.
C. Visits will be made to patients and/or families of patients who have cardiovascular disease.
D. All Visitors must be fully trained and accredited annually, unless the Visitor is a newly Accredited Visitor in training and accompanied by a fully qualified Visitor.
E. Accredited Visitors may visit surgical or non-surgical patients.
F. Visiting permission must be obtained from the hospital administration. Such permission is usually granted for all patients, and not on an individual basis.
G. Accredited Visitors must wear their Mended Hearts or Mended Little Hearts Accredited Visitor badge at all times during patient and family visits.
H. Some chapters have their Accredited Visitors wear a high visibility item such as a patch, vest or coat. This provides instant recognition as well as increased visibility for the chapter.
I. Accredited Visitors must distribute only approved MHI educational resources to patients.
J. The only information an Accredited Visitor shall take from the hospital visit is the patients name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. Even this information is only with the patients permission.
K. Accredited Visitors must fill out the patient record information sheet used for recording visits.
L. Accredited Visitors may not solicit money or membership for The Mended Hearts, Inc. or any other organization from patients during a Mended Hearts or Mended Little Hearts visit in the hospital.
M. Tell the patient and the family about support group meetings. Invite them to attend. Let them know that one does not have to be a member of The Mended Hearts, Inc. to attend support group meetings.
Click here for Visitor Job Description document.