Visiting Us

Virtual Connections

Virtual Connections allows hospital inpatients to connect with their family members face-to-face through a video call.  While patients and families can stay connected through telephone calls, our team is happy to arrange a virtual connection whenever possible.

Before you begin, please review the Guide to Getting Started.

Once you are ready, please call your patient’s unit and speak to a health care team member to arrange the virtual connection.

You will need:

• An active working telephone number
• Working Internet via WiFi or hardwired
• An active working email account
• Audio and video capable device

 You may use any of the following devices with audio and video capabilities:

• Cell phone (Smart Phone)
• Computer (PC)/Laptop
• Tablet

If you are experiencing issues after you have reviewed the Guide To Getting Started, please fill out our Virtual Connections form.

NOTE: Virtual Connections is for social connection and is not intended for family discussions with the health care team. If you have questions for the health care team, please contact the patient’s unit by phone.

If your patient has their own device, they can connect with the hospitals FREE Guest WiFi and use video apps.

Email a Patient

We value the vital role that families and partners-in-care contribute to the healing and wellbeing of our patients and appreciate how difficult this is for everyone.

To assist any family and friends looking to further connect with their loved one, Lakeridge Health is supporting and encouraging virtual and telephone calls as staying connected is an important part of healing. We offer a free messaging service called Email a Patient where you can send a personalized electronic message that will be printed and read to your loved one.

Keep Your Personal Items Safe

To ensure your personal items are not lost, we recommend to please leave personal items (example: coat or purse) in your locked vehicle at home. You can bring a phone/tablet with you if disinfected before you enter and leave the hospital. 

Frequently Asked Questions regarding Family Presence at Lakeridge Health

I am an Essential Partner-in-Care (EPC). What is important for me to know in order to safely visit the hospital?

Lakeridge Health supports a mask-friendly environment. Masks will continue to be available at all main entrances to our sites. We understand masking is a personal choice, and we encourage you to continue masking if it makes you feel most comfortable.

Patients may be asked to wear a mask, depending on their symptoms and the type of care provided.

Patients and visitors/Essential Partners-in-Care can also request that members of their health care team wear a mask.

If you are planning to visit a patient, resident, or client at one of our sites and have cold or flu-like symptoms, please consider postponing your visit.

Please also remember to clean your hands often during your visit.

Outpatients (including those visiting the Emergency Departments and ambulatory clinics) may have one (1) EPC accompany them, based on volumes and capacity.

There is no limit to the number of individuals a patient wishes to identify as their EPC.

Visits do not need to be scheduled in advance with the health-care team. However, when visiting a patient who is not in a private room, the team reserves the right to ask EPCs to take turns visiting, in order to practice physical distancing.

EPCs will not be able to visit patients who are symptomatic with COVID-19 results pending, or patients who are confirmed to be COVID-19 positive. This does not apply to end-of-life patients. Please speak with the health-care team for special circumstances.

There is no eating or drinking in patient rooms, waiting rooms, and hallways. Use the designated eating spaces if you need to eat while visiting the hospital.

You must use public washrooms. You are not permitted to use the washroom in patient rooms.

Self-Screening when Entering

Self-screening is in place at all of our hospitals. Signage with questions to help you self-screen is posted at all public entrances.

These questions ask if you have COVID-19 symptoms, have had contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have been told to self-isolate in the last 10 days. This protocol is aligned with the province’s public health guidelines and other hospital and health-care settings across Ontario.

What happens if I answer “yes” to any of the questions?

If you’re visiting an inpatient and answer “yes” to any of the questions, you cannot enter the hospital and must return home to self-isolate.

Patients who answer yes to any of the questions must speak to a member of their health-care team. This applies to patients who are seeking ambulatory care, also known as outpatient care, or elective surgery.

All patients and visitors entering our EDs are asked to clean their hands and put on a mask before entering.

Other Visitor-Related Information

If you are a patient who is staying with us, please visit the staying with us webpage for more information on what to bring.

Where to Stay

The Region of Durham maintains a list of local accommodations for you to choose from.

Partnering with Families to Improve Communication

What to do in an Emergency

If there is an emergency at one of our hospital sites, we will make an overhead announcement. Please stay calm and follow the instructions of our staff.

Fire Safety

If there is a fire at one of our hospital sites, you will hear an overhead announcement for "code red". Please stay calm and follow the instructions of our staff. Do not use the elevators or try to leave on your own, as fire doors will be closed.

All of our staff receive mandatory fire-safety training and participate in fire drills regularly.

We're a Smoke-Free Environment

In compliance with the Smoke-Free Ontario Act and Electronic Cigarettes Act and Regulations, Lakeridge Health prohibits the use of any form of smoking or the use/vaping of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) on any of its properties.