The legislature hereby finds and affirms all of the following:

            (1) Leaving the safety and comfort of one’s home to enter an inpatient healthcare facility is a very scary experience for an individual regardless of the reason for entering the facility or the expected length of stay in the facility.

            (2) An inpatient healthcare facility can be a very intimidating place with new sights, sounds, and smells; long periods of isolation; and a myriad of strangers coming quickly in and out of your room at all hours of the day and night.

            (3) Many individuals find the process of entering an inpatient healthcare facility overwhelming, particularly children, the elderly, individuals who entered the facility under emergency situations, and those with behavioral health challenges, intellectual disabilities, or profound health complications.

            (4) In many instances, the patient or resident of the inpatient healthcare facility is so afraid that they are not able to adequately process the information that they are being given such as a particular diagnosis, medication management, safety procedures, recovery instructions, or food or liquid limitations.

            (5) Being a patient or resident in an inpatient healthcare facility also yields itself to very long, boring days of isolation which can cause depression, anxiety, diminished will to improve or even to live, and for individuals with limited functionality, they often go for hours without moving, speaking, or even opening their eyes.

            (6) Having a reliable person visit, be it a family member or friend, serves as a source of strength and companionship to a patient or resident in an inpatient healthcare facility, often expressed through reassuring words or a compassionate hug or holding of one’s hand, and also allows for a fresh and focused set of eyes and ears to be aware of the totality of the circumstances of the situation.

            Acts 2023, No. 367, §1.