Hospital entrance with visitors wearing face masks during respiratory illness season
Parkview and other Fort Wayne hospitals are tightening visitor rules to slow the spread of RSV, flu, and COVID-19.

Why hospitals in Fort Wayne are tightening visitor rules right now

If you’ve tried to visit a friend or family member in the hospital lately, you may have run into new rules: fewer visitors, age limits, and health screenings at the door. Parkview and other Fort Wayne hospitals are putting these visitor restrictions in place as RSV, flu, and COVID-19 cases climb toward their seasonal peak.

These changes can feel frustrating and even a little scary—especially if you have a loved one in the hospital. But they’re designed to protect the very people you’re trying to support, as well as staff and other patients. Below, we’ll walk through what’s happening, why now, and how you can still stay closely connected with hospitalized loved ones while keeping everyone safer.


The triple threat: RSV, flu, and COVID-19 in northeast Indiana

Fort Wayne is seeing the familiar winter rise in respiratory illnesses, but the overlap of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), influenza, and COVID-19 creates a heavier burden on local hospitals.

  • RSV: Typically peaks from December through mid-February. It can be especially dangerous for infants, older adults, and people with chronic lung or heart conditions.
  • Flu: Seasonal flu waves vary year to year, but emergency departments often see sharp spikes in visits for high fevers, dehydration, and breathing problems.
  • COVID-19: Continues to circulate, with new variants causing periodic increases in cases and hospitalizations.

When all three viruses circulate at once, emergency rooms, ICUs, and pediatric units can fill up quickly. Visitor restrictions are one of the levers hospitals can pull to reduce the number of people coming in and out of high‑risk areas.


What Parkview’s visitor restrictions usually look like

Specific policies can vary slightly by Parkview facility and may change quickly as conditions evolve. While you should always check the hospital’s current guidance, many winter respiratory restrictions include some version of:

  1. Limits on the number of visitors per patient at a time (for example, one or two people at the bedside).
  2. Age restrictions, often no visitors under 18, especially in pediatric, neonatal, or high‑risk units.
  3. Health screenings at entrances—visitors with fever, cough, sore throat, or other symptoms may be asked not to enter.
  4. Masking requirements in certain areas or throughout the facility during surges.
  5. Restricted hours in some units to reduce traffic and allow staff to focus on patient care.

These steps are not meant to keep families apart, but to lower the odds that respiratory viruses are brought into rooms where patients may already be fragile or immunocompromised.

“One contagious visitor can unintentionally expose an entire unit,” notes infection-prevention guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Limiting visitors during respiratory virus surges is a key strategy to protect vulnerable patients.”

Why hospitals tighten visitor rules when cases rise

Even though visitor restrictions can be emotionally hard, there is solid reasoning behind them. Research and public health guidance highlight several benefits:

  • Protecting high‑risk patients: Older adults, newborns, people with cancer, heart failure, or chronic lung disease are more likely to suffer severe complications from RSV, flu, and COVID-19.
  • Preventing outbreaks inside the hospital: Outbreaks among patients or staff can force units to close beds, delay procedures, and strain already limited resources.
  • Preserving staffing levels: When staff get sick, it becomes harder to safely care for all patients. Reducing unnecessary exposures helps keep nurses, doctors, and respiratory therapists at the bedside.
  • Reducing crowding: Fewer visitors at peak times mean less congestion in waiting rooms, elevators, and hallways where viruses can easily spread.

A family’s experience: balancing safety and connection

During a recent winter surge, a Fort Wayne family (names changed for privacy) found themselves navigating these rules when “Mary,” a 72‑year‑old with COPD, was hospitalized with pneumonia.

At first, her daughter felt angry that only one person could be in the room at a time and that Mary’s younger grandchildren couldn’t visit. But after speaking with a nurse, she realized that several patients on the unit were on oxygen or recovering from serious infections. “If one of us brought in RSV,” she later reflected, “it could have been devastating—not just for my mom, but for everyone on that floor.”

The family switched to a schedule: one adult at the bedside, while others joined by video call. Nurses helped set up a tablet so Mary could see her grandkids each evening. It wasn’t the visit they had imagined, but they still shared stories, prayers, and small celebrations together.


How to stay connected when visitor restrictions are in place

Even with strict visitor rules, you can still provide emotional support and advocacy for your loved one. Consider these options:

  1. Designate a primary contact person.
    Ask the care team to share updates with one family member who then relays information to others. This reduces phone calls and confusion.
  2. Use video and phone calls.
    Many hospitals, including Parkview, can help set up video calls via smartphone or tablet, especially for patients who need help using technology.
  3. Send notes, cards, or photos.
    Simple messages, drawings from kids, or printed photos can be taped where patients can see them, providing comfort between visits.
  4. Coordinate “virtual visiting hours.”
    Pick daily times when friends and family send texts, emails, or recordings so your loved one has something positive to look forward to.
  5. Talk with staff about special circumstances.
    In certain situations—end-of-life care, major surgeries, or patients who need extra support—hospitals may make exceptions to standard rules. It’s okay to ask respectfully.
Family member video calling a patient in the hospital using a tablet
Video calls and messages can bridge the gap when in‑person hospital visits are limited.

How to protect yourself and others during respiratory illness season

By lowering your own risk of getting sick, you also reduce the chance you’ll carry RSV, flu, or COVID-19 into hospitals, clinics, workplaces, or family gatherings.

  • Stay up to date on vaccines. Seasonal flu shots and updated COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of severe illness. An RSV vaccine is now available for many older adults and some pregnant people; ask your clinician if it’s right for you.
  • Practice good hand hygiene. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based sanitizer when soap isn’t available.
  • Wear a mask in high‑risk settings. In crowded indoor spaces, particularly during surges, a high‑filtration mask (such as KN95) can lower transmission risk.
  • Stay home when sick. Even mild symptoms can represent contagious infection. Avoid visiting hospitals, nursing homes, or newborns until you’re well.
  • Improve ventilation when possible. Open windows, use air purifiers with HEPA filters, or meet outdoors to dilute virus particles.
Person using hand sanitizer in a hospital or clinic setting
Simple actions like hand hygiene and masking remain powerful tools against RSV, flu, and COVID-19.

Before and after visitor restrictions: what changes for you?

From a patient or family perspective, visitor restrictions can change what a hospital stay looks and feels like.

Busy hospital waiting area with many visitors
Before restrictions: hospital waiting areas and hallways can become crowded during peak respiratory virus season.
Calmer hospital corridor with limited visitors and staff wearing masks
After restrictions: fewer visitors and stronger infection‑control measures help protect vulnerable patients and healthcare workers.
  • Before restrictions: More visitors at the bedside, including children; busier waiting rooms; fewer mask requirements outside high‑risk units.
  • After restrictions: Smaller visitor groups, age limits, more consistent masking, and sometimes shorter or structured visiting hours.

While the “after” picture may feel less social, it is generally safer for those whose bodies are working hardest to heal.


How to check current Parkview visitor policies before you go

Because conditions can change week to week, always confirm the latest information before visiting:

  1. Visit the hospital’s website.
    Most systems, including Parkview, post current visitor guidelines on their main site, often under “Patients & Visitors” or a similar tab.
  2. Call the main hospital line.
    Ask for the information desk or patient relations and request current visitor rules for the specific unit you’ll be visiting.
  3. Ask the patient’s nurse or care team.
    They can clarify how general policies apply to your loved one’s room or condition.

Trusted resources for up‑to‑date respiratory illness guidance

For the latest, evidence-based information on RSV, flu, and COVID-19, consider these authoritative sources:


Moving through respiratory season with care and compassion

Visitor restrictions at Parkview and other Fort Wayne hospitals are a clear sign that RSV, flu, and COVID-19 are circulating at higher levels. While these policies can be emotionally challenging, they are designed with one goal in mind: protecting patients, families, and the healthcare workers who care for them.

You can play a vital role by:

  • Checking current visitor rules before you head to the hospital
  • Staying home if you’re sick—even if it’s “just a cold”
  • Using masks, hand hygiene, and vaccination to lower your risk
  • Finding creative ways to stay connected when in‑person visits are limited

If you have a loved one in the hospital right now, reach out to their care team and ask, “What’s the safest way for us to support them?” Working together—with empathy on all sides—can help northeast Indiana get through this respiratory season a little more safely, and a little more connected.