Skip Maine state header navigation

Agencies | Online Services | Help

Skip First Level Navigation | Skip All Navigation

DDPC Home > Visitor Guidelines

Visitor Guidelines

Guidelines in Microsoft Word* or Adobe PDF*  (*free viewer)

Visiting hours
11:30 am to 8:00 pm

Please follow the Visitors’ Guidelines to protect the safety, rights and privacy of visitors and patients alike. Because this is a hospital, appropriate behavior is expected. Please be aware that if staff feel these expectations are not being met, you will be asked to leave.

Please note that we are a tobacco-free and fragrance- free campus. Thank you for not smoking or wearing heavily scented products.

Visitors are asked to adhere to the following rules:

  1. Upon arrival at DDPC, all visitors are required to check in at the switchboard and obtain a visitor’s pass. The visitor must identify whom they plan to visit and the operator must confirm that the patient can accept visitors before the visitor is allowed to proceed to the unit. Please wear your visitor’s pass at all time and turn it back in to the sign-in area when you leave.
  2. Visiting hours are normally from 11:30 a.m. - to 8:00 p.m. We ask that you coordinate the timing of your visit to support patient’s engagement in treatment activities. It is preferred that visitors not arrive at mealtime (12 noon and 5:00 pm). With permission, patients may be permitted to have their meal in the visitor’s room.
  3. Visits should last no longer than one hour unless prior arrangements have been made with the patient’s treatment team. This ensures that other patients can receive visitors without overcrowding the units. Visitors are asked to remain in the visitor’s room while on the unit.
  4. Only one visitor’s room is available on each unit. If the unit is busy, and the person you are visiting has independent passes, visitors may go with patients on an on-grounds pass for their visit. There is a visitor’s room for general use off the C1 corridor, near the vending machines.
  5. In order to protect confidentiality, we ask that what you see or hear while on DDPC grounds, remain at DDPC and not to be discussed elsewhere.
  6. Visitors are not permitted to use tobacco products within DDPC buildings or on DDPC grounds. Visitors who fail to comply with the visitor’s policy regarding tobacco use may lose their visiting privileges.
  7. Small children should not be brought to the units without first getting staff permission when checking in at the switchboard.
  8. We ask that you refrain from visiting patients at DDPC if you or anyone in the visiting party:
    1. has been exposed to a contagious disease within the last two weeks (strep throat, chicken pox, measles, scabies).
    2. has a draining skin lesion that a dressing (Band Aid or bandage) does not completely contain.
    3. has any signs of cold or flu (runny nose, sneezing, coughing).
  9. Visitors may bring in food or beverages and personal items to patients as long as they are not on the Prohibited Items list below. All items brought in by visitors must be turned over to staff upon entering the unit to ensure the safety of the patient and their belongings. Please refrain from having any prohibited items in your possession when you come for a visit.

Prohibited items include:

  • Cigarettes and smoking materials,
  • matches and lighters,
  • canned soda,
  • items containing caffeine,
  • alcohol,
  • illicit drugs,
  • glass of any kind,
  • knives and other objects with sharp edges,
  • other weapons and dangerous materials including flammable liquids,
  • cleaning agents,
  • and explosives.

Do not give patients any over the counter drugs such as Tylenol or Aspirin as they can interfere with prescription meds.