COVID/Visitation FAQs

Effective March 28th, 2022, family members who are up-to-date with vaccination are permitted to visit inside patient bedrooms. Please review the following guidelines for in-room visitation:

• Two (2) family members per patient/resident are permitted during a visit, both must be up-to-date on vaccination.
• Visits should take place during visiting hours, which is 8:00AM to 8:00PM.
• Visits are limited to individuals over the age of 16, as we and most hospitals do during flu season every year.
• All visitors must wear a mask during their visit, just as we mandate all Matheny employees do. This practice has not only made a difference for COVID, but a truly dramatic difference for all respiratory virus spread.
• If there are 2 families visiting in a room at the same time, ask the zone for help finding an alternate location for one family, or utilizing outdoors. We have to avoid crowding rooms.
• While you are visiting it is important not to go into other patient rooms or have other patients who are not the roommate of your loved one in the room, as we need to continue to maintain as much safety as possible.
• Food should still be dropped off at the front desk to be processed through the kitchen for meal time, it should not be brought to the zone.
• For school aged patients, please do your best to avoid school hours when visiting, we want to make sure our students get the full benefit of their school day and therapies. Particularly as the school gets closer to opening hybrid.

For these in-room visits you will no longer need to call your Social Worker and schedule your visit ahead of time; however, calling the zone and telling them you plan on coming is never a bad idea and is always appreciated.  You will come to the front desk, check-in, and go to your loved one’s zone.  If you are unsure of how to get there without going through other zones, or it is your first time visiting inside the hospital then set up your first visit with your Social Worker and one of us will be more than happy to meet you at the front and show you to the zone and to your loved one’s room.

The plan above applies equally to group home families as well.  It is always best, when possible, to give the group home a call when you are coming to be sure your loved one is at the house, and is ready to visit when you arrive.

“Fully vaccinated” means a person has received their primary series of COVID vaccines (2 doses of Moderna or Pfizer, or 1 dose of Johnson & Johnson).

“Up-To-Date” with vaccination means a person has had their initial vaccination series and their booster.  The meaning of this term is one area where the DOH goes by CDC recommendations, please see the description of each vaccine and the timing of boosters here.

At this time, in-room visitation is limited to family members who are up-to-date with vaccination. However, we do have visitation options for family members who are not up-to-date with vaccination and friends as well. Immediate family members, over age 18, who reside in the same household are permitted to visit regardless of vaccination status. Friends who are fully vaccinated or up-to-date with vaccination are permitted to visit. Please be aware that visitors who require vaccination must present their vaccination card to the facilitator at time of the visit or send a photo to the resident’s social worker beforehand. You are not required to present your card at every visit.

For individuals unable to visit in patient rooms, visitation slots are by appointment Monday-Friday from 10:00-11:30am, 2:00-3:30pm, and 5:30-7:00pm; Saturday & Sunday from 10:00-11:30am and 2:00-3:30pm. Please schedule on-site visits through your social worker.

Please do your best to arrive on time. If you cannot arrive on time or are unable to come at all, please call the visit facilitator phone (908-930-3396), the front desk receptionist (908-234-0011 ext. 0), or your social worker to inform them so that we can try to accommodate time changes. However, time changes or extensions are not guaranteed.

Families are permitted to bring their dogs for on-site visits. Please bring a copy of your dog’s vaccination record to your visit and present it to the front desk for the attention of Gail Cunningham, or send it to your social worker prior to your visit. Dogs are only permitted to visit with the resident who is the family member.

You are welcome to bring food for your loved one to enjoy for a future meal. Please leave it with the front desk who will call the kitchen. At this time, eating together during a visit is not permitted.

At this time, trips to restaurants are not permitted regardless of whether or not you plan to eat outside.

Please contact your social worker to set up a video chat. We have access to the following platforms: FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, and Google Duo.

Matheny follows guidance from the NJ Department of Health. Infection Control is in consistent contact with the DOH regarding all facets of visitation, including home visits.