Support Person Restriction Guideline Updates for Polk County Hospitals

October 14, 2020

(Des Moines, IA) – As we continue to move through the COVID-19 pandemic, our hospitals are continually learning and refining our policies and procedures to better care for our patients.

UnityPoint Health – Des Moines, MercyOne – Des Moines and Broadlawns Medical Center maintain the current visitor restrictions for the safety of our patients and team members. However, we recognize the importance of having a support person available for a patient’s well-being. With some exceptions, one support person will be permitted to be with a patient per day during hours set by each hospital. This change will be effective Wednesday, October 14, 2020. NOTE: Hospitals may further restrict visitation in certain situations.

All support person(s) are required to:

• Be 16 years of age or older.
• Be free of any signs of illness and will be screened for symptoms of COVID-19.
• If the support person is not feeling well, they should not visit.
• Individuals at high risk for severe disease (e.g., underlying cardiopulmonary disease, poorly controlled diabetes) should not consider this role.
• The support person must wear a properly applied facemask the entire time they are in the facility and in the patient room. They must practice hand hygiene and physical distancing.
• Abide by the hospital’s support person-hours and guidelines. Each hospital may have different hours the support person can be present and additional guidelines to follow.

Thank you for your cooperation in this effort. For up-to-date information related to COVID-19, please visit www.polkcountyiowa.gov/health.

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