swing bed/skilled nursing

SWING BED SERVICEDSC_5180
Swing Bed (or Skilled Nursing Care) is a Medicare program designed to provide additional inpatient care to those needing extra time to heal or strengthen before returning home. The term swing bed came from the idea that the patient will “swing,” or transition, from inpatient acute care through the program to return home to the same level of independence prior to entering the hospital.

WHEN IS SWING BED APPROPRIATE
Often the swing bed stay is used for patients who have had surgery such as hip or other joint replacement. Individuals who have had these types of procedures can be transferred to our Swing Bed. In addition to major surgery, a lengthy illness can also result in the need for swing bed care. A patient can transfer from a larger facility to swing bed or, if already an inpatient at HCHS, his or her hospital designation can be changed to receive swing bed care.

LEVEL OF CARE
Patient needs will be monitored throughout the Swing Bed stay and our physician will make rounds weekly or more often, depending on the level of care the patient needs. Weekly care conferences will be held with all disciplines that are involved in the patient’s care in order to individually plan the care from week to week, or more often in needed. Decisions will be made based on individual patient needs.

WHO QUALIFIES FOR SWING BED?
Patients must have at least a three-night qualifying stay as an inpatient within the last 30 days before transferring or transitioning to the Swing Bed Program. Patients must need ongoing monitoring, rehabilitative therapy or a daily skilled need such as IV antibiotics.  There are no age restrictions.

REMEMBER

When you have surgery at another facility and need rehabilitation or skilled care, have the hospital’s Discharge Planner contact Harlan County Health System, about our Swing Bed Program. You can reach HCHS‘s Nurse Care Planner at (308) 928-2151