Swing Bed Program
At Thayer County Health Services, we understand there are times when a patient no longer needs the acute care they first received in the hospital – yet they may not feel strong enough to return home. For those patients, we offer our Swing Bed Program.
What is the Swing Bed Program?
Swing Bed or Certified Skilled Nursing is a level of care that provides patients with skilled nursing services or skilled rehabilitation services. Both levels of care are performed under the supervision of a registered nurse, and a licensed physical, occupational, respiratory, or speech therapist. Daily skilled services are provided on an inpatient basis.
Our Swing Bed program is certified in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations. Patients may only be admitted through a recommendation from their attending physician.
The goal of the program is to provide a therapeutic atmosphere that assists patients with self-care and helps them with independent functioning.
Why use Swing Bed care?
Swing Bed offers patients, family members, and care providers a unique opportunity to enhance and strengthen the healing process. Patients often come back to TCHS from other facilities to utilize the Swing Bed Program to receive follow-up care from our medical team in a comfortable and familiar setting that is also close to family and friends.
Specifically:
• Swing Beds allow family and friends to be closely involved in the rehabilitative process and recovery periods.
• Psychologically and emotionally, Swing Bed admissions are less traumatic and threatening to patients.
• Swing Beds allow the patient to return to the community, people, and support systems to which they are comfortable.
• Swing Bed admissions offer hope for each patients’ continued recovery and return to independent and functional living.
• Swing Bed Program is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and many private insurance programs. Medicare reimbursement does require a 3 night qualifying stay at an acute care facility.
What services are covered?
• Nursing care 24 hours a day is provided to assist, encourage, and plan toward restoring as much independence as possible.
• Room and board.
• Services of a registered dietitian in providing special diets as ordered by the physician, and supervising menu selections.
• Rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational, respiratory, and speech therapy when ordered by a physician.
• Drugs, medical supplies, blood transfusions, laboratory services, and the use of appliances furnished by the program during the stay.
• Services of the hospital’s activity director and discharge planning coordinator.
• Wound care and IV therapy.
Who should I contact if I have questions?
If you would like some additional information, please call:
Joni Fischer, CSW
Patient & Family Services Director
402-768-4626
Diane Vorderstrasse, LPN-C
Patient & Family Services
402-768-2613