Finding adequate medical services in a small town can be challenging for many communities across the country. At East Adams Rural Healthcare, we do everything we can to ensure the well-being of our neighbors. That’s why we’ve established an efficient hospital swing bed program to provide a more seamless care and recovery experience for our patients.
What is a swing bed, and how might it benefit you or your loved ones? In this post, we’ll take a closer look at this type of post-operative care and rehabilitation and how it helps our patients become as strong and healthy as possible before their return home.
The Purpose of a Hospital Swing Bed
Many of our patients wonder if they’ll be prepared to return home after surgery or other medical procedures in our hospital. It’s understandable that some people may be worried or stressed about being sent home before they’re truly ready.
That’s why we maintain what’s called a hospital “swing bed” — more commonly referred to as “transitional care” — to progress patients from acute or operative care to recovery and rehabilitation before they’re sent home or to another care facility. Patients are able to stay in one place — usually in the same bed — without having to move between hospitals, nursing facilities, or their homes before adequately recovering from their treatment.
This is a particularly important service in rural areas where medical facilities often aren’t as thoroughly equipped as hospitals in larger cities. Hospital swing beds are not meant to delay or avoid nursing home admission nor provide long-term care; instead, the purpose of transitional care is to make sure patients are recovering well and then get them home in as good a condition as possible.
The length of stay in a typical hospital swing bed averages one to two weeks.
Who Determines Eligibility for a Hospital Swing Bed?
Medicare and state regulations determine patient eligibility for a stay of any length of time in a hospital swing bed. The guidelines specify that:
- A patient must qualify as an “acute inpatient” (not an “observation patient”) for a minimum of three consecutive midnights within 30 days of your swing bed admission date
- Admissions to the program can come from any hospital
- You or your family can request that your case manager or discharge planner refer you to the hospital swing bed program
Discharge from a swing bed to home is a carefully planned process as determined by our hospital care staff. This team, including the physician, case manager, social worker, and rehabilitative specialists, will ensure each patient is fully prepared for the transition and assist in arranging post-discharge services for any ongoing care needs.
Does Insurance Cover Transitional Care Services?
A hospital swing bed is a Medicare program, although some insurance companies also cover these services, which are generally included in the “skilled nursing facility” benefit category. Before making any healthcare decisions, it’s important to contact your insurance provider to get the exact details of your coverage.
Your stay at East Adams Rural Healthcare swing bed program is anticipated to be short and can bring a ray of hope to a variety of patients, such as:
- Short-term rehabilitative therapy
- Daily IV medication therapy
- Daily evaluation and treatment of wounds by an expert
About East Adams Rural Healthcare Hospital Swing Beds
East Adams Rural Healthcare offers an array of clinical and social services supporting all our patients’ rehabilitation needs. With private rooms and bathrooms, our patients’ privacy and dignity come first.
Along with our friendly and caring staff, the following services are available for patients during their transitional care period:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Respiratory therapy
- Cardiopulmonary services
- Case management
- Social services
- On-site lab & radiology services
If you want to learn more about our swing bed program or explore more about our transitional care, we encourage you to visit us or check out our website.
