What is visitation?
Now often called ‘parenting time’, visitation, which is a form of custody, refers to access to the child by the non-custodial parent. Not content to see their children for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon, or even every other weekend, modern non-custodial parents are increasingly seeking real, meaningful parenting time with their kids. Such access includes weekday visitation, sharing vacation and school break time with the custodial parent, as well as playing an active role in the child’s life.
The visitation, preceding the funeral or memorial service, is a time when family and friends gather at the funeral home or other appropriate place to share their grief and to offer support with tributes of flowers, donations to favorite charities, cards, and prayers. The visitation has become increasingly important. Today’s lifestyle has actually resulted in more people attending the visitation than the funeral service. The visitation is often held during non-working hours and gives friends and family a flexible time frame in which to offer their support. The casket may be opened for viewing or it may be closed during the visitation (at the family’s discretion). This detail is left completely to the person or persons making the funeral arrangements. Some psychologists and other experts suggest that viewing the body, either privately or during the visitation, is helpful because it erases any denial that death has occurred.
Visitation is the practice of allowing a resident to have a visitor within his/her immediate living area during specific times of the day or night, any day of the week. Non-residents (guests) must register at the main desk of the residence hall between the hours of 3:00 pm through 11:00 pm Monday to Thursday and noon through midnight Friday through Saturday. The host resident is responsible for the conduct of the visitor at all times.
