Swing Bed Care

Our Swing Bed Program is designed to provide you with individualized, sub-acute care and/or physical rehabilitation when you have been in the hospital but are not well enough to return home. This care and rehabilitation aims to help you reach an optimal level of wellbeing, functioning and strength so you can return to your own home or residential facility.

Typically, a person requiring acute medical care will be hospitalized as an inpatient for a short time. Some individuals are not yet ready to return home at the end of their inpatient stay. Our Swing Bed Program helps individuals regain their most favorable condition of functioning through our availability of nursing care and/or rehabilitative services provided by physical, occupational and speech therapists during your stay. Nursing care and a routine of medical supervision are keys to your recovery in this program.

Purpose:

• To provide ongoing care for postoperative patients requiring short-term rehabilitative therapy
• To help transition inpatient medical patients from hospitalization to home
• To help transition patients from other institutions’ inpatient service with skilled nursing needs to home

NOT intended to:

• Delay or avoid inevitable nursing home admission
• Provide long-term care at the expense of Medicare

Requirements to qualify:

• Must be hospitalized and qualify as an acute care inpatient (not an observation patient) for at least three consecutive days
• Must have a need for skilled services upon inpatient discharge
• Must have Medicare or another eligible insurance with available skilled care benefit days

What type of clinical and social services are offered?

• All private rooms
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Respiratory therapy
• Cardiopulmonary services
• Case manager
• Social worker
• Friendly, caring staff
• On-site lab and radiology services

Who determines eligibility for admission into a Swing Bed?

Medicare and state regulations provide patient eligibility guidelines for a Swing Bed. These guidelines state:

• A patient must qualify to be hospitalized as an “Acute Inpatient” (not an “Observation Patient”) for a minimum of three consecutive midnights within 30 days of their swing bed admission date.
• Admissions can come from any hospital, including our hospital.
• You or your family can request that your case manager or discharge planner refer you to our Swing Bed Program.

Even if you are discharged directly home and find that you are unable to manage safely due to your medical condition, you can be admitted to the Swing Bed Program.

The same Medicare guidelines apply: There must be a three consecutive midnight hospital stay as an inpatient within 30 days of your discharge.

What kind of insurance coverage can be used for Swing Bed Services?

Swing Bed is a Medicare Program. Some other insurance companies cover Swing Bed services. Services are usually covered under the “Skilled Nursing Facility” benefit category. We recommend that you contact your insurance company for specific coverage details before making any health care decisions.

Stays in our Swing Bed Program are anticipated to be short and can benefit a variety of patients, including, but not limited to, those in need of:

• Short-term rehabilitative therapy
• Daily IV medication therapy
• Daily evaluation and treatment of wounds by skilled personnel

Leaving the Swing Bed Program

Discharge from Swing Bed to home is determined by your skilled care team, including the physician, case manager, social worker and rehabilitative team, when you no longer require daily skilled care. We will assist you in arranging post-discharge services for any continued needs.