[Unless the sick person asks that we visit him or her,] we do not visit a sick person who has difficulty speaking or would suffer some other unpleasantness as a result of the visit. However, even in the case of such a patient, whom we cannot actually visit inside their room, we do go to the adjacent rooms, outside the sick person’s room, and from there we inquire how they are doing and assist with their needs for recovery. We also hear about their suffering there and pray for him or her.

Likewise, any person who visits a sick person must be particular about praying for mercy for the sick person when they are taking leave. If the visitor did not do so, he did not fulfill the mitzvah properly. Therefore, visits to a sick person should not be scheduled during the early morning hours of the day because the sick person does not feel his illness intensely during those hours and the visitors will not pray for him. Nor do we visit in the last hours of the day, for that is when the person feels at their worst, and those coming to visit will lose hope and not pray for mercy for him. However, someone who will not be available to visit the sick at other hours — it is better that he go visit during the non-ideal hours than not going to visit at all.