Outpatient visits to Mayo: Where can a caregiver wait?

Posted by leann100 @leann100, Mar 30, 2020

My husband receives IVIG in the Ambulatory Infusion Center over 2 days. Each infusion can take up to 4+ hours. I have to drive him after infusions due to premeds. We live out of town and require one nite in hotel. My question- since Mayo is limiting visitors (no visitors unless cognitively impaired adult), where are safe places I may wait for him? Hotel check in and out times conflict with appointment. Or will I be spending two 4-5 hr days in the parking lot? Anyone else having this issue?

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Hello @leann100, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. While we wait and see if some other members share your situation I thought I would let you know of an available Mayo Clinic Service that may be able to offer some suggestions or help for your situation. I'm not sure which Mayo Clinic Campus you go to but Rochester Mayo Clinic has Concierge Services that may be able to help: https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/minnesota/becoming-a-patient/concierge-travel-services

Rochester also has Charitable Lodging that may work for you:
-- https://www.experiencerochestermn.com/mayo-clinic/hotels/charitable-lodging/

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@johnbishop

Hello @leann100, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. While we wait and see if some other members share your situation I thought I would let you know of an available Mayo Clinic Service that may be able to offer some suggestions or help for your situation. I'm not sure which Mayo Clinic Campus you go to but Rochester Mayo Clinic has Concierge Services that may be able to help: https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/minnesota/becoming-a-patient/concierge-travel-services

Rochester also has Charitable Lodging that may work for you:
-- https://www.experiencerochestermn.com/mayo-clinic/hotels/charitable-lodging/

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We will be at the PHX Mayo Hospitals site.

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Most hotels are not full to capacity anymore. Did you contact the hotel you're going to stay and ask them if they could make an exception for you? I think they may, it's better than having an empty room. Wish you the best. Take care.

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@leann100

We will be at the PHX Mayo Hospitals site.

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@leann100 that is a great suggestion from @mayofeb2020. The hotel may be willing to extend your checkout time given the circumstances and the current occupancy rates of hotels being lower than normal.

I'd also like to bring @danab into this discussion. He was just at the Ambulatory Infusion Center at Mayo Phoenix for an IViG infusion last week I think. He might be able to describe more about what your husband can expect when he arrives.

Leann, is your husband apprehensive about going to the appointment alone?

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@leann100 May I also welcome you, Yes Mayo Phoenix is my transplant center and I'm up there on a regular basis. I was up there last Wednesday for my IVIG treatment and everything went very smooth. Now unless something has changed this past week caregivers up to 2 were allowed in with there Patient as long as they had an appointment.
The check in went real easy at the front door and they are practicing social distancing by only allowing sitting every few chairs. But there was very few people I saw and keeping my distance was not a problem.
The infusion center is on the 7th floor and it was not super busy, I even had a private room which usually I'm in a chair.
But just in case things have changed there is a nice outdoor area and walking trail on the campus. There is a mall just 2 miles away but I'm not sure if anything is open. The cafeteria was open for meals again unless things have changed. Most restaurants in the area are doing take out only but I did have some breakfast at a denney's where I called a phone number and the food came out to me in the car.
If you have any other questions please ask. I'm actually going up tomorrow too, they need me to give some labs they missed last week.

Have a blessed Day
Dana

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@danab

@leann100 May I also welcome you, Yes Mayo Phoenix is my transplant center and I'm up there on a regular basis. I was up there last Wednesday for my IVIG treatment and everything went very smooth. Now unless something has changed this past week caregivers up to 2 were allowed in with there Patient as long as they had an appointment.
The check in went real easy at the front door and they are practicing social distancing by only allowing sitting every few chairs. But there was very few people I saw and keeping my distance was not a problem.
The infusion center is on the 7th floor and it was not super busy, I even had a private room which usually I'm in a chair.
But just in case things have changed there is a nice outdoor area and walking trail on the campus. There is a mall just 2 miles away but I'm not sure if anything is open. The cafeteria was open for meals again unless things have changed. Most restaurants in the area are doing take out only but I did have some breakfast at a denney's where I called a phone number and the food came out to me in the car.
If you have any other questions please ask. I'm actually going up tomorrow too, they need me to give some labs they missed last week.

Have a blessed Day
Dana

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@danab, that's great first-hand information! Thank you.
It's amazing how quickly things are changing, so I'm glad you added "unless things have changed".

One thing that changed as of today, March 26 is "No visitors will be allowed in the hospital setting, emergency department or outpatient clinics on the Mayo Clinic Arizona campus." Details are constantly update here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/covid-19/arizona

Here is information for all Mayo locations:
Appointment and visitor restrictions https://www.mayoclinic.org/covid-19

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@colleenyoung

@danab, that's great first-hand information! Thank you.
It's amazing how quickly things are changing, so I'm glad you added "unless things have changed".

One thing that changed as of today, March 26 is "No visitors will be allowed in the hospital setting, emergency department or outpatient clinics on the Mayo Clinic Arizona campus." Details are constantly update here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/covid-19/arizona

Here is information for all Mayo locations:
Appointment and visitor restrictions https://www.mayoclinic.org/covid-19

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Thanks for the replies. The infusions are not new for my husband so we know what to anticipate. My concern was selfish- wondering where I could spend my time....I did take the advice of calling our hotel and thankfully they are being very accommodating so I will drop him off, hole-in at the hotel and wait. Thanks everyone for responses.

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Also I had to go back up there yesterday for an additional Blood test and things have definitely changed. Only patients and they do have porta johns the nice kind and a food truck for snacks. I didn't look at the menu so I'm not sure what's on the menu

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