| (a) A hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient
unit's visitation policies and procedures may change during a public
health emergency or disaster. A hospice agency operating a hospice
inpatient unit's policies and procedures may not be more restrictive
than directives issued by HHSC, DSHS, executive orders, or local orders.
(b) A hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient
unit must permit a religious counselor to visit a resident at the
request of the resident.
(c) A hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient
unit may not prohibit a client from receiving in-person visitation
with a religious counselor during a public health emergency on request
from the client, client's legally authorized representative (LAR),
or client's family member unless a federal law or a federal agency
requires the facility to prohibit in-person visitation during a public
health emergency.
(d) A hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient
unit must adopt policies and procedures for in-person visitation with
a religious counselor during a public health emergency or disaster.
These policies and procedures:
(1) must comply with the minimum health and safety
requirements for in-person visitation with religious counselors developed
by HHSC;
(2) may include reasonable time, place, and manner
restrictions on in-person visitation with religious counselors to:
(A) mitigate the spread of a communicable disease;
and
(B) address the resident's medical condition;
(3) must include special consideration for residents
receiving end-of-life care; and
(4) may require religious counselors to comply with
a hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient unit's guidelines,
policies, and procedures for in-person visitation with a religious
counselor.
(e) A hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient
unit must permit end-of-life visits and immediately communicate any
changes in a resident's condition that would qualify the resident
for end-of-life visits to the resident's representative or resident's
legally authorized representative.
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