Current COVID-19 Specific Safety Policies
RMHC-CNI is dedicated to keeping your family healthy & safe during the pandemic. We have taken several measures to ensure limited exposure of our guests.
- Rooms are in high demand so you must use your room daily. You may come and go to visit your child but should take every precaution while traveling to/from the hospital. Reflecting guidance from IDPH to limit travel as much as possible, once your family checks into the House, you must maintain an uninterrupted stay, without visits to home, throughout your child’s medical treatment.
- Guests are limited to the patient and two parents or one parent plus a support adult. All guests must be listed on the Social Work referral and receive an initial health screening at the hospital or House. Daily health screens/temperature checks for all houseguests are now required. This is done daily when you enter the hospital. If a guest is not visiting the hospital, or the hospital is not providing a health screening, guests will need to be health screened by Ronald McDonald House program staff.
- Siblings of the patient are allowed under specific circumstances. Please see staff to inquire about restrictions.
- Visitors are not permitted at this time.
- Facemasks are required when not in private bedrooms. Masks are available if you need one.
- Hand sanitizer is stationed by entrances and must be used each time upon re-entry.
- Most common spaces are closed. Please speak to a staff member about this program location’s exceptions, including the use of kitchen appliances. Please follow social distancing rules at all times.
- You may also take your food outside or to your room. One meal a day will be provided, along with snacks. See House signage for details.
- We strongly encourage you to sanitize any area before/after using it, clean up after yourself and practice good handwashing techniques.
- All guests must be healthy prior to checking in. If you feel sick, please isolate in your room, call the office (please do not stop by), contact your personal doctor and your child’s medical team, and await instructions.
Ronald McDonald House Rules
- Only registered guests referred by the hospital are permitted to stay overnight at RMHC-CNI.
- Parents/guardians are responsible for the supervision of their children under the age of 18 at all times. Children under 18 cannot be left at RMH in the care of volunteers, staff, or other guests.
- Ronald McDonald House is a 100% smoke-free environment, including outdoor garden and play areas. This includes tobacco, non–tobacco, vapor cigarettes and marijuana, regardless of whether they are burned/vaporized. City ordinance requires smokers to stand 15 feet away from buildings.
- Please clean up after yourself and your children at all times.
- Cooking appliances, heating appliances, and candles are not permitted in your guestroom.
- Television shows, movies, games, and websites with violence or adult content are not appropriate for this family environment.
- Disruptive behavior, including inappropriate language, towards other guests is unacceptable. Violence will not be tolerated and is grounds for termination of your stay. This includes, but is not limited to, physical discipline of children and acts of domestic violence.
- Possession/use of alcohol, marijuana, and illegal drugs are strictly prohibited. Firearms are also not permitted on RMH property at any time.
- The status of family stays are reviewed with hospital staff on a regular basis. Families may be eligible to remain at the House as long as their child is in active treatment; they are spending the majority of their time at the hospital and are following House policies.
- RMH staff are not allowed to accept the delivery of medicine or medical equipment so a family member must be present to accept delivery. If your child requires Home Health Care (HHC), please notify program staff.
- For the safety of everyone, medical waste cannot be disposed of on RMH property. Please request a sharps container from your child’s hospital as needed.
Note: The House staff reserves the right to enter any guest room if deemed necessary. The House staff and volunteers are happy to welcome you here. We want to make your stay as comfortable and relaxing as possible. However, if the Program Director finds that you are unable to abide by our policies, the Director has the right to revoke your privilege of staying here.