Hospital & Nursing Home Visits

 

          A recently enacted law has affected the longstanding practice of hospitals and nursing facilities of providing information to parishes about parishioners who are patients or residents. Because of the new law, the priests and the staff of the parish may not promptly learn, or may not learn at all, that a member of the parish has been admitted to the hospital or nursing home. If you, or a member of your family, are hospitalized or enter a long-term care facility, or assisted, independent living or residential facility and you want the parish office to know, please personally or through a family member contact the office promptly and identify the patient or resident, the hospital or nursing facility and the room number. Because all area hospitals and nursing facilities may not have the same policies allowing the priest of the parish to know when members are patients or residents, direct notice from you or a member of your family is a better approach. If the parish office does not receive word, the priest will do his best to obtain information about parishioners, but hospitals and nursing facilities are limited in what information they can provide. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.