Do you have a loved one in the hospital? Is it not possible to visit? Are they quarantined because of the coronavirus? Are they in a hospital far away, or are you unable to travel? With We\Visit you can make a digital visit to your loved one in the hospital! We\Visit helps you to plan a video call so that you can see and hear each other. Stay safe, stay in contact!
Hospitals that offer the We\Visit service will provide you with a code to access the We\Visit website. With this code you can make appointments for a video call with your loved one. At the scheduled time, use your code to log in and to join the video call. Someone at the hospital will connect your loved one so you can stay in contact.
At the hospital a team of volunteers, nurses, or a loved one who is visiting will connect your call to the patient. At the time of your appointment they will bring a tablet to your loved one and connect your call. Then they will leave to give you some privacy. If you or your loved one wishes, the volunteer can stay with the patient during the video call.
Everyone who is important to you and your loved one can join the video call. Share the appointment, link and personal code with other family members or friends that want to join. At the selected time go to the link to start the call with your loved one.
At the time of your appointment, go to the link that the system provided when you made the appointment. Everyone who is important to you and your loved one can join the video call. Just share the link and code.
Your loved one might be very ill and perhaps they will have trouble talking. They can still hear and see you! If you are unsure what to say, just talk about what has been happening with you. They will be happy seeing and hearing you and getting a reminder of home.
Talking through We\Visit is not the same as talking when you are together. Your loved one might be very ill and they are connected to medical equipment which can be scary. The medical equipment can make all kinds of sounds, this is normal. Find out more about what you can expect at an intensive care (IC) here (in Dutch): icconnect.nl/op-de-ic
The time slots for calls are about 15 minutes long because it can be physically and mentally tiresome for the patient to be talking to someone or even listening to them. Volunteers, or the person attending your loved one, will end the call when the time is up. If the call ends due to a technical error, you will be asked to call again. If you want to contact the patient again, you can make another appointment for another day.
On the one hand it can be nice to see your loved one, but on the other hand an ICU with all the bells and whistles can be an unpleasant sight. Seeing your loved one ‘at a distance’ can emphasize feelings of powerlessness. We advise you to consider whether you really want to have a video call. In any case we recommend that you make the call with someone who can support you, for example a family member or a good friend. They can also join the video call.
It is possible that your loved one will die despite medical assistance. The (sudden) death of a loved one is a painful situation. It might feel surrealistic. After the loss, the grieving process will start. This period is different for everyone and takes time.
This information can support your process of loss. The pain and sadness can cause physical and/or emotional symptoms. There is no specific time period for a grieving process, which is different for every person. The death of a loved one is difficult to accept. It may be supportive to discuss with others your feelings and sadness. Do not hesitate to ask for (professional) help, for example from your general practitioner, practice assistant or social work. Below you can watch some videos about dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Not being able to say goodbye (in Dutch)Probably you are on this platform because your loved one is hospitalized during the coronavirus outbreak. More background information about the coronavirus and its treatment can be found here (in Dutch): fcic.nl/corona
We hope that you and your loved ones can stay in touch using We\Visit. You can contact Slachtofferhulp Nederland (Victim Support Netherlands) if you need additional support. You can also call them on 088-7460090. This hotline is specifically for people who are/were admitted to the ICU and their family members.