Elderly patient and family member talking to physician at the bedside

Swing Bed and Skilled Nursing Services

Skilled care for a smooth post-hospitalization recovery.

Swing bed programs are designed for patients who no longer need acute inpatient care but aren’t quite ready to return home. Skilled nursing care delivered in a home-away-from-home atmosphere helps patients get back on their feet quickly and recover close to home.

Contact our Swing Bed Coordinator
Cindy Zuniga
Phone: 432-208-2446
Email: [email protected]

Who is eligible for the
swing bed program?

Patients hospitalized at MCHD or another hospital may qualify for extended care services at MCHD if:

  • Your swing bed/skilled nursing care is related to an acute hospital stay.
  • Your doctor has determined a need for daily skilled care such a physical therapy, IV therapy, or wound care.
  • You have been hospitalized as an “acute care inpatient” (not as an “observation patient”) for a minimum of three consecutive midnights within the past 30 days.
  • You were hospitalized at any facility for three midnights as an inpatient in acute care.
  • You have Medicare Part A or other insurance coverage with hospital based, skilled-care benefits and days available for skilled care.
Resistance band physical therapy swing bed patient

Swing Bed Services

  • Cardiovascular interventions, including assessments and patient education
  • Hematological interventions
    • Administer and teach intramuscular and subcutaneous injections
    • Collect, monitor, and report lab values
  • Endocrine intervention, including all aspects of diabetic care
  • GI/GU Interventions
    • Bowel/bladder training
    • Foley catheter and ostomy care
  • Nutritional interventions
    • Tube feeding
    • Dietary education
  • Wound care and surgical aftercare
  • IV infusions
  • Musculoskeletal interventions
    • Pain management
    • Decreased mobility care
  • Core and lower extremity strengthening
  • Gait and transfer training to improve mobility
  • Balance training to decrease risk of falls at home
  • Manual therapy for pain relief
  • Other treatments as needed

Physical therapy based on availability.

  • Hand and upper body strengthening
  • Core strengthening
  • Retraining for daily living to promote independence with self-care tasks
  • Home environment assessment and modifications as needed
  • Other treatments as needed

Occupational therapy based on availability.

  • Speech and language therapy
  • Therapy for dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
  • Problem solving, memory, attention, and reasoning training
  • Cognitive therapy
  • Social communication

Speech therapy based on availability.

Nurse and patient doing physical therapy in swing bed program

Who can benefit from the swing bed program?

  • Patients who need rehabilitation after orthopedic surgery, such as joint replacements.

  • Patients with acute neurological conditions, such as stroke or a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury.

  • Patients needing to regain strength and mobility after an illness, injury, or other surgery.

  • Patients needing post-surgical aftercare: wound care, ostomy care, or IV therapy.

What is a swing bed program?

We understand there are times when a patient no longer needs the inpatient care they received when first admitted to the hospital, but may not be strong enough to return home. For those patients, we offer skilled nursing services in a program called “swing bed.” The term “swing bed” means an acute care bed can “swing” to the less-intense needs of a skilled nursing or convalescent bed where physical therapy, long term IV antibiotic therapy, and wound care can be provided.

With a home-away-from-home atmosphere and one-on-one treatment, our swing bed program is care specifically designed to help patients recover closer to home.

Insurance

Medicare and most commercial insurances cover swing bed programs as well as the skilled nursing services. The services are usually covered under the “Skilled Nursing Facility” benefit category. The first 20 days are covered 100 percent under Medicare, and the remaining eligible days are covered up to 80 percent.