Chapter Review Date (a) A hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient unit's visitation policies and procedures may change during a public health emergency or disaster. A hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient unit's policies and procedures may not be more restrictive than directives issued by HHSC, DSHS, executive orders, or local orders.(b) A hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient unit must permit a religious counselor to visit a resident at the request of the resident.(c) A hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient unit may not prohibit a client from receiving in-person visitation with a religious counselor during a public health emergency on request from the client, client's legally authorized representative (LAR), or client's family member unless a federal law or a federal agency requires the facility to prohibit in-person visitation during a public health emergency.(d) A hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient unit must adopt policies and procedures for in-person visitation with a religious counselor during a public health emergency or disaster. These policies and procedures:(1) must comply with the minimum health and safety requirements for in-person visitation with religious counselors developed by HHSC;(2) may include reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on in-person visitation with religious counselors to:(A) mitigate the spread of a communicable disease; and(B) address the resident's medical condition;(3) must include special consideration for residents receiving end-of-life care; and(4) may require religious counselors to comply with a hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient unit's guidelines, policies, and procedures for in-person visitation with a religious counselor.(e) A hospice agency operating a hospice inpatient unit must permit end-of-life visits and immediately communicate any changes in a resident's condition that would qualify the resident for end-of-life visits to the resident's representative or resident's legally authorized representative.