Colorado’s Citizen Legislature – April, 2021
HOUSE BILL 21-1172:
HB 1172 concerns a subject that’s a real sore point for people who have loved ones in health-care facilities. The pandemic prevented this writer from seeing/visiting her Mother for the last nine months of her life last year. It is a gut-wrenching good-bye with no closure.
The bill is long and complicated, but reading the introduced copy of the bill provides an outline to eliminate many of the stumbling blocks visitors faced. The short title of HB 1172 is “No Patient or Resident Left Alone Act.”
Hospital patient visitation rights are specified in Colorado’s Statutes, 42 CFR 482.13 (h), which provide many limitations that a visitor must comply with. Examples: a compassionate care visit to alleviate the patient’s or resident’s physical or mental distress; a visitor or support person designated pursuant to subsection (2)(b) of this section for a patient or resident with a disability.