Family Presence and Visitor Precautions

Family presence in long term care homes and acute care facilities have begun to move to open family presence, with the exception of a small number of homes/facilities where enhanced precautions are deemed necessary by the local medical health officer. Please check with your care team for the most up to date family presence precautions in your facility/home.

Although public health restrictions have eased, the risks to Saskatchewan's most vulnerable remain. The health and safety of our staff, patients, residents and families remains our top priority. 

All families and visitors entering an SHA facility are still required to wear a medical grade mask. Masks are required at all times in acute care facilities and in common areas in Long term care facilities.  In Long term care, masks are no longer required in the residents' rooms, unless the resident is COVID positive and on precautions. Free medical masks will be provided at screening stations when entering a SHA facility or long-term care home.

Long-term care residents are not required to mask in their own rooms, as this is their home, but are encouraged to mask when outside their room and in common indoor areas.

Medical Health Officers will continue to have discretion to introduce or maintain restrictions, depending on factors such as community transmission or COVID-19 cases within a home. 

Public Health Order (PHO) can temporarily alter our family presence restrictions. If a PHO states restrictions, those restrictions are the current law and must be followed.

Levels of Family Presence

View the Safe Family Presence​ - Transition to Living with COVID reference sheet​ on Levels of Family Presence.

Open Family Presence

• Family/support persons and visitors are welcome according to the preferences of the patient/resident.
• No limits on the number of family/support persons or visitors per patient/resident.
• No limit on the amount of family/support persons or visitors present at a time indoors or outdoors (as can be accommodated safely by care teams).
• Large groups are asked to schedule their visit with the care team.

Enhanced Family Presence Precautions: Yellow

• No limits on the number of essential support persons or visitors per patient/resident.
• Two family/support persons or visitors present at a time indoors.
• No limits on persons present at a time outdoors.
• End-of-life; no limit to the number of different family/support persons or visitors. Two family/support persons or visitors can be present at one time. More than two may be permitted if space/layout allows.

Enhanced Family Presence Precautions: Red

• One consistent family/support person can be present at a time.
• Alternates are allowed if needed.
• End-of-life; no limit to the number of different family/support persons or visitors.  Two family/support persons or visitors can be present at a time.
• Options for outdoor visits to be determined in consultation with local MHOs.

Safe Family Presence Reminders:

• Family is defined by the patient/resident
• Family presence is determined by the Medical Health Officer (MHO) or designate in consideration of local epidemiology, rates of staff and patient/resident infection, vaccination rates, source of exposure, availability/use of safety measures and physical layout, etc.
• Children supervised by an adult (other than the patient/resident) are welcomed. Consult the care team for other arrangements for children attending in person.
• During Family Presence Green and Yellow, outings/off-site activities are allowed and are determined in consultation with the patient/resident and their care team.
• During Family Presence Red, outings must be determined in consultation with the local MHO. 
• Timing/location of in-person visits may be subject to scheduling limitations due to physical layout, patient flow, etc.
• Care teams will work collaboratively with the patient/resident, family/support person(s) and visitors to create a plan for safe in-person visits.