Visiting Hours at Carle Foundation Hospital
Visitors must follow certain rules and guidelines to make sure we have a safe, trusted and comfortable care environment for all our patients, visitors and medical staff.Hospital visiting hours are generally from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., but nurses can customize patient visitation based on a patient's condition and individual needs. Please speak with your loved one’s nurse to discuss a custom visitation schedule.
If you’re a patient, you can also request that visitors not be allowed by speaking with your nurse.
Visitor Guidelines:
- Visitors must be the patient's parent or be 14 years of age or older.
- All visitors must be healthy, with no symptoms of COVID-19, cold, flu or other illness.
- When you come to visit someone, you must first stop at the information desk and check in with us. You’ll need to show us a photo ID (driver’s license or state ID). We’ll take a photo of you and give you a visitor sticker, which you must wear at all times while visiting your loved one. The sticker is only good for that day, so you’ll need to check in every day for a new sticker. When you leave for the day, you’ll need to check out at the information desk and return your sticker.
Note: the following guidelines may change based on patient status.
COVID Positive Patients - We encourage virtual visits but will allow visits with precautions as desired by the patient/family.
Emergency Department – One support person at a time per patient is permitted to visit. May switch out as desired.
Intensive Care Unit – Two support persons at a time during visiting hours, one of which may stay overnight.
Semiprivate rooms - Two visitors at a time are allowed in the patient's room during visiting hours. You may switch out the visitors as desired.
Medical-Surgical – Two support person at a time during visiting hours, with some exceptions. Support person may stay overnight.
Labor and Delivery, Postpartum -
- Support persons are limited to three adults at a time.
- Only one visitor (age 18 or over) may stay overnight.
- Siblings of the newborn may visit if they have an adult, other than the patient, with them at all times. Siblings may not stay overnight.
Pediatrics/Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) –
- Two (2) caregivers at the bedside 0700-2100.
- Siblings (any age) may visit between 0700-2100.
- One (1) caregiver may spend the night.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)/Level 3 Nursery –
- A parent may choose up to four (4) support people aged 18 and over. Switching of these roles should not occur and will be considered only by the manager or designee.
- These support individuals receive a green ID badge that must always be visible while in the unit.
- Visiting hours for green badge visitors are 0900-2100.
- Siblings ages three (3) and up* may visit the NICU for 30 minutes or less between 0900 and 1900.
- A second adult must be present and free at all times during sibling visits in case an emergency arises or the child is asked to leave the bedside.
Inpatient Rehab – During visiting hours, one support person at a time is allowed to visit the patient. An overnight guest is permitted if aligned with therapy plan.
End-of-life – Four support persons are allowed at the patient’s bedside 24 hours a day.
- Support persons may rotate who is visiting the patient, but they must exit the building before new visitors enter.
- Children with a close relationship to the dying patient may be allowed to enter, but only when accompanied by another adult family member.
Procedures – Two support persons are allowed in the operating room (OR) waiting room, both of which are allowed to visit the patient before their procedure.
Waiting rooms - Except for the Surgical Services waiting room, all waiting rooms remain closed to visitors.
Vendor access is limited to those necessary for patient care.