Hospital visiting

[PerryBebbington]

I read a lot of crime fiction, not all of it on this website. Crime means violence, violence means people going to hospital. In some of the fictional hospitals visitors seem to have to justify their relationship with the patient, in particular only family seem to be allowed. This seems odd. I am in the UK, I have been in hospital and I have visited people in hospital. The only restrictions are generally visitors are only allowed at certain times and only a certain number at a time, typically no more than 2 at a time. The relationship between the patient and the visitor is not questioned.

Is it different in your country? Are only family allowed? If so what is the justification? Or are the restrictions portrayed in works of fiction just that; fiction?

[Paul_KD7HB]

The idea of only allowing family to visit has immediate problems. What proof is required for family connection? None I have ever noticed.
In the 1960's, my wife and I both worked in the same hospital. She in the lab, me in the accounting dept. One time the local Gypsy king was hospitalized with terminal cancer. "family" came from all over the country and foreign countries to visit. The hospital hired security personnel to guard the doors and halls in attempt to limit the disappearance of  equipment. "family" members were everywhere.
Eventually the hospital moved the "king" to care in a residence away from the hospital to limit the "visitors". So, there is no limit to family in American hospitals.
Paul

[Robin2]

Eventually the hospital moved the "king" to care in a residence away from the hospital to limit the "visitors". So, there is no limit to family in American hospitals.

That suggests that you would have to at least pretend to be family to visit in an American hospital.

What happens if you are just a work colleague or the next-door-neighbour of the ill person?

...R

[Paul_KD7HB]

That suggests that you would have to at least pretend to be family to visit in an American hospital.

What happens if you are just a work colleague or the next-door-neighbour of the ill person?

...R

My late business partner was in the hospital with an earlier ailment. My wife and I visited him with no problem. Just asked for the room number and directions and away we went. Happy patients get well quicker than lonely ones, I guess.
Paul

[Robin2]

My wife and I visited him with no problem.

So it's not restricted to families.

I wonder where the authors of Perry's books got the idea that it is?

...R

[Paul_KD7HB]

So it's not restricted to families.

I wonder where the authors of Perry's books got the idea that it is?

...R

He wrote about fiction, right?
Paul

[Robin2]

He wrote about fiction, right?

Yes, but it's not weird fiction. In my experience crime fiction authors try for verisimilitude - apart from the numbers of corpses

...R

[PerryBebbington]

The book is Daylight by David Baldacci.
I have however come across this thing of visitors only being allowed if they are family in other stories.

Thanks for the comments 

[Coding Badly]

The only restrictions are generally visitors are only allowed at certain times and only a certain number at a time, typically no more than 2 at a time.

Meh.  The last time I was in the hospital the nurses just didn't want anyone in my room when I wasn't there.  No family restriction nor quantity restriction nor any other restriction.  The mechanical engineers in the group were even mucking around with the adjustable bed trying to figure out how everything worked.

The restrictions are purely plot device.

[jimLee]

Back in the.. Late 70s? early 80s? My older brother ended up in the hospital. Ski accident? Motorcycle wreck? Something.  His roommates started thinking he was psychic or something, because he would be chatting away with them, then suddenly, out of the blue, he'd say.. My little brother is coming. And invariably within 5 minutes, I'd walk in the door. Big hospital (Stanford) and they were a few floors up. They could not figure out how he could know whenever I'd show up.

One day he finally told them. "listen, hear that?" I had an old Hot rod Camaro with nearly open exhaust. He could hear my car coming for miles.

-jim lee

[ardly]

This thread reminds me of an urban train trip I once had. Sitting minding my own business a couple of unsavory looking types sat next to me. A few stops later another two hard cases joined them and they started talking amongst themselves along these lines:
"Been up to the hospital then?"
"Yea"
"How is he doing?"
"So, so"
"Well he's tough"
"Yea, he's tough all right"
"Still there is not much you can do against five guys with golf clubs"

My nose pressed further into my book.
It did not sound like they had any trouble paying a hospital visit.