Visitation Policy

Assisted Living Visitation Policy

Applies to: The Palace at Weston, The Palace at Coral Gables, The Palace Suites, The Palace Royale, The Palace Renaissance and The Palace Gardens, our communities licensed as assisted living facilities under part I of chapter 429, Florida Statutes.

Effective date: September 4, 2026
Last review / revision: September 4, 2026
Governing law: Section 408.823, Florida Statutes (the "No Patient Left Alone Act"); Section 429.28(1)(d), Florida Statutes; and Rule 59A-35.125, Florida Administrative Code.

Applicability

This policy applies to assisted living facilities licensed under part I of chapter 429, Florida Statutes. It is governed exclusively by Florida law.

Policy

It is the policy of the Palace communities to permit and facilitate resident visitation in accordance with section 408.823, Florida Statutes (the "No Patient Left Alone Act"), section 429.28(1)(d), Florida Statutes, and Rule 59A-35.125, Florida Administrative Code, while applying reasonable infection prevention practices. Visitation is permitted for all residents. Nothing in this policy may be applied to deny a resident the visitation rights guaranteed by Florida law.

1. Definitions

• Resident — a person residing in the community.
• Visitor — any person entering the community who is not an employee or a resident.
• Essential caregiver — a family member, friend, guardian, or other individual designated by a resident under s. 408.823(2)(b), F.S.
• Facial covering — a cloth or surgical face mask, a face shield, or any other covering of the mouth and nose.
• Common area — an area of the community where residents are not treated, diagnosed, or examined.

2. General Visitation Rights

Visitation is permitted for all residents. A resident may receive visitors of the resident's choosing and may decline any visitor at any time.

The community does not limit the frequency or length of visits, does not limit the number of visitors a resident may receive at one time, and does not require advanced scheduling of visits.

3. Visiting Hours

Visiting hours are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily. The entity will make provisions to extend visiting hours for family, friends, out-of-town guests, caregivers and others as needed upon request.

4. Essential Caregiver

• A resident may designate a visitor who is a family member, friend, guardian, or other individual as an essential caregiver.
• The community allows in-person visitation by the essential caregiver for at least two (2) hours daily, in addition to any other visitation authorized by the community.
• The essential caregiver is not required to provide care to the resident, and the community will not require an essential caregiver to provide such care.
• Designation is made in writing to the General Manager or designee and is recorded in the resident's record. A resident may change the designation at any time.
• Essential caregiver access is preserved during a communicable disease outbreak.

5. Circumstances in which in-person visitation must be allowed

The community allows in-person visitation in all of the following circumstances, unless the resident objects:

• End-of-life situations.
• A resident who was living with family before being admitted to the community's care is struggling with the change in environment and lack of in-person family support.
• The resident is making one or more major medical decisions.
• A resident is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died.
• A resident needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family member or caregiver.
• A resident who used to talk and interact with others is seldom speaking.

6. Screening of Visitors

Visitors are screened on entry for signs and symptoms of communicable disease. Screening consists of visual observation and self-report. A visitor who reports or displays signs or symptoms of a communicable disease that can be spread through droplet or airborne transmission will be offered alternative arrangements, which may include visiting at a later time, visiting in a designated area, or the use of a facial covering in accordance with section 9.

Screening applied to visitors is not more stringent than the screening applied to the community's staff.

7. Infection Control and Education

The community's visitation policies include infection control and education for visitors, as well as screening, personal protective equipment, and other infection control protocols for visitors.

These requirements are not more stringent than those applied to staff and do not require proof of vaccination or immunization. Instructional information on infection control practices is posted and made available to visitors. Visitors may request additional information from the Manager on duty.

8. Personal Protective Equipment and Hand Hygiene

• The community's visitation policies include personal protective equipment and other infection control protocols for visitors.
• Where personal protective equipment is called for under this policy, it is provided by the community at no cost to the visitor.
• Visitors are encouraged to perform hand hygiene. Use of an alcohol-based hand rub is preferred.
• These measures are not more stringent than those applied to staff.

9. Facial Coverings

The community may require a visitor to wear a facial covering only when the visitor is:

• Exhibiting signs or symptoms of, or has a diagnosed, infectious disease that can be spread through droplet or airborne transmission;
• In a resident or clinical room with a resident who is exhibiting signs or symptoms of, or has a diagnosed, infectious disease that can be spread through droplet or airborne transmission; or
• Visiting a resident whose treating health care practitioner has diagnosed the resident with, or confirmed, a condition affecting the immune system in a manner known to increase the risk of transmission of an infection from persons without signs or symptoms of infection, and whose treating practitioner has determined that the use of facial coverings is necessary for the resident's safety.

The community may require a resident to wear a facial covering only when the resident is in a common area and is exhibiting signs or symptoms of, or has a diagnosed, infectious disease that can be spread through droplet or airborne transmission.

If a visitor is required to wear a facial covering, the visitor may opt out if an alternative method of infection control or infectious disease prevention is available.

10. Opt-Out Requirements

• Where a facial covering is required of a resident, the community provides a resident-specific opt-out from wearing a facial covering, in accordance with the Florida Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, s. 381.026, F.S.
• Where a facial covering is required of a visitor, the community offers an opt-out from wearing a facial covering where an alternative method of infection control or infectious disease prevention is available.

11. Safety-Related Policies Not More Stringent Than Staff Requirements

Safety-related visitation policies and procedures are not more stringent than those established for the community's staff.

12. Vaccination Status

The community does not require any visitor to submit proof of vaccination or immunization as a condition of visitation and does not inquire into a visitor's vaccination or immunization status.

13. Consensual Physical Contact

This policy permits consensual physical contact between a resident and a visitor. The community does not prohibit hand-holding, hugging, or similar contact where the resident consents.

14. Visitors under 18 years of age

Visitors under 18 years of age are to be accompanied by an adult. Exceptions may be made when the resident requests the visit and the community determines the visit can occur safely and consistently with the resident's rights.

15. Visitor Agreement, Suspension, and Reinstatement

• The community may require a visitor to agree in writing to follow this policy and its procedures.
• The community may suspend in-person visitation of a specific visitor if that visitor violates this policy.
• Suspension applies to the individual visitor only; it is never applied as a general or facility-wide restriction.

16. Communicable Disease Outbreak

During a communicable disease outbreak, the community continues to permit in-person visitation. Florida law does not authorize a general suspension of visitation. Specifically:

• In-person visitation continues in the circumstances listed in section 5, unless the resident objects.
• Essential caregiver access under section 4 continues for at least two hours daily, in addition to any other authorized visitation.
• Infection prevention measures applied during an outbreak remain subject to sections 9, 10, and 11, including the limits on when a facial covering may be required and the prohibition on measures more stringent than those applied to staff.
• The community may offer, but does not require, alternative visitation locations such as a resident's room, a designated indoor area, or an outdoor space.

16. Outdoor Visitation

The community maintains accessible and safe outdoor spaces. Outdoor visitation is available as an option at the resident's and visitor's choice. In offering outdoor visitation, the community considers the resident's health status and preference and weather conditions. Outdoor visitation is never a substitute for, or a precondition to, in-person visitation that Florida law requires the community to permit.

17. Designation of Person Responsible

The General Manager or designee is responsible for ensuring that staff adhere to this visitation policy and its procedures.

18. Submission to the Agency for Health Care Administration

The community shall provide this policy and its procedures to the Agency for Health Care Administration when applying for initial licensure, licensure renewal, or change of ownership, and makes them available to the Agency for review at any time upon request.

19. Website Posting

Within twenty-four (24) hours after this policy is established or revised, the community makes it easily accessible from the homepage of its website. The General Manager confirms that the posted version matches the current controlled version and records the date of posting.

References

• Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. (2025). Standards for the appropriate use of facial coverings for infection control (Fla. Admin. Code r. 59A-35.125). https://flrules.elaws.us/fac/59a-35.125
• Florida Department of Health. (2024). Standards for the appropriate use of facial coverings for infection control (Fla. Admin. Code r. 64D-3.051). https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleno.asp?id=64D-3.051
• Fla. Stat. § 408.823 (2026). View statute
• Fla. Stat. §§ 408.801–408.832 (2026). View statutes
• Fla. Stat. § 429.28 (2026). View statute
• CS/CS/SB 988, ch. 2022-34, Laws of Fla. (2022). View bill text