Visiting Hours

At Osler we understand the importance of family presence in a patient’s healing and well-being. We continually re-evaluate and revise our Visitor and Essential Care Partner Policy with the goal of always balancing the needs of our patients and their loved ones with the health and safety of all those who are cared for, work or volunteer at Osler.

Osler continues to support a mask-friendly environment. We understand that some people may feel more comfortable wearing a mask while onsite at Osler, and they are supported in doing so. Masks will continue to be available at all entrances and throughout our facilities. All visitors are asked to clean their hands frequently. Essential care partners (ECPs) assisting with direct care needs could be asked to implement additional precautions.

If you are feeling unwell, staying home is essential to prevent the spread of infection and protect your loved one, other patients and their care providers. Here are some ways you can still ‘be there’ without physically being there:

Connect with friends and family who can visit on your behalf
Drop off comfort items like books, photos, etc.
Arrange scheduled phone or video calls
Use the free integrated bedside table to connect with family

Osler also offers a greeting card delivery service for inpatients at Brampton Civic and Etobicoke General. Please complete our greeting card request form and one of our volunteers will make arrangements to deliver the greeting card to your loved one.

Visitor and Essential Care Partner Policy

Our Visitor and Essential Care Partner Policy is as follows (see COVID-19 and outbreak policy exceptions below):

Patients 18 years of age or older who are admitted to hospital can have up to two visitors, 14 years old or older unless accompanied by an adult, at the bedside at any time 24 hours a day, seven days a week with some exceptions. Visitors can change throughout the day and from day to day.
Patients admitted to hospital with fundamental care needs (i.e. high falls risk, support needed for nutrition, positioning, toileting, etc.) can have two approved ECPs at the bedside at any time 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Patients at end of life or receiving palliative care can have up to four visitors at the bedside at any time 24 hours a days, seven days a week, as well as a spiritual care practitioner as needed.
Labour and Delivery, NICU and Paediatric patients can have up to two ECPs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week (patient may decide to have a doula as a third ECP).
Post-Partum patients can have two ECPs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Siblings may visit Post-Partum, NICU and Paediatrics Units during daytime hours with the following guidelines:
- Must wear a mask and must stay in patient’s room for the visit
- Visits should be no longer than one to two hours at a time
- Only one visit per sibling during the 24 hour stay in Post-Partum
Patients receiving care in one of our outpatient clinics, Emergency Departments or our Urgent Care Centre can have one visitor if the patient is 18 years old or older and two visitors if the patient is 17 years old or younger.

Visitors may be asked to wait in common areas such as our cafeterias or lobby areas due to the space limitations in many of our outpatient wait rooms. When possible, if support isn't needed, we ask that outpatients be dropped off and picked up.

Do all units/Osler sites have the same visiting hours?

While the visiting hours for most units/Osler sites are 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there are the following exceptions:

Adult Inpatient Mental Health Unit: 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Monday to Friday) and 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday)
Child and Adolescent Inpatient Mental Health Unit: 4:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Monday to Friday) and 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday)
Reactivation Care Centre: 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Withdrawal Management Centre: 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (Monday to Sunday - half an hour visits only)

Please note that visitations are restricted on our mental health units to promote and increase participation in the therapeutic treatment groups/programs.

Are there situations in which I may be asked to delay or stagger my visit?

Yes, the clinical team may ask visitors to wait elsewhere if there are too many people in a room or if there is private care being provided or an urgent need for extra staff to respond to patient care needs.

Can I visit someone who is COVID-19 positive or is suspected of being COVID-19 positive?

Visitors cannot visit with the exception of those visiting a patient at end of life. One approved ECP can visit to provide fundamental care needs. Those approved must:

wear a hospital-issued mask (N95 mask required for COVID-19) at all times while on the unit
sign the visitor log book
follow all infection prevention and control guidelines

Can I visit someone who is on a unit that has a declared outbreak?

Visitors cannot visit any unit experiencing an outbreak with the exception of those who are visiting a patient at end of life. One approved ECP can visit to provide fundamental care needs. Those approved must:

wear a hospital-issued mask (N95 mask required for COVID-19) at all times while on the unit
sign the visitor log book
follow all infection prevention and control guidelines

Essential care partners

What is an ECP?

An ECP is an essential care partner, usually a family member or friend, who helps support patient care at the bedside, typically for patients at risk of falling and/or who need support in three or more areas of activities of daily living (e.g., eating, going to the bathroom, mobility, cognitive support, etc.). The decision as to whether or not a patient needs an ECP is determined in consultation with the patient’s clinical team. The ECP must be approved by the clinical manager.

Is there a special weekly or monthly parking rate for ECPs?

Osler offers five-day, 10-day and 30-day flex passes. Each pass includes unlimited in and out privileges over a 24-hour period. Passes can be transferred between ECPs caring for the same patient (ECP and one alternate)

Brampton Civic: Buy flex pass from parking office at the east entrance of the parking garage
Etobicoke General: Buy flex pass from parking office inside the main entrance (next to elevators)

For more information and for rates, see directions and parking.

Virtual visitation

Is virtual visitation available?

Yes, patients can use their own mobile devices through free guest access hospital-wide WiFi – available at all three hospital sites. We encourage patients to use their mobile devices for Skype, FaceTime and WhatsApp for virtual visits.

Patients can also use Family Chat on the Integrated Bedside Terminals (IBT) available in the patient rooms and all units have unit iPads with licensed Zoom that can be used for virtual visitation. To connect with your loved one through Family Chat, you will need to know the Location ID of the IBT.

Connect with a patient at Brampton Civic
Connect with a patient at Etobicoke General

If you are using a computer or laptop, the supported browsers are Chrome, Edge and Opera. Currently, only mobile devices with the Android 10+ operating system with Chrome are supported. Please note that if the patient’s bed location changes, so will their Location ID.

Are there any guidelines I need to follow during a virtual visit?

Electronic communication is vulnerable to cyber risk. To ensure the privacy and security of patients, virtual visits may not be used for discussions with the health care team. If you have questions for the health care team regarding your loved one’s care, please speak with members of the health care team separately via telephone.

To protect the privacy of all involved, the recording of virtual visits is prohibited. In certain circumstances, there may be the need to conclude a virtual visit to protect the privacy of others.