Swing Bed Care Program
The swing bed program, sometimes referred to as skilled nursing, is a special program reserved for rural hospitals with fewer than 100 beds. The swing bed program allows you to recover from an accident, illness, or surgery in a close-to-home facility. Patients may remain in skilled care if there is documented need for that level of care.
What is Swing Bed?
Our Swing Bed Program provides an alternative to sending patients home when they can transfer to our swing bed program, without leaving the hospital for needed care. Patients receive skilled nursing care and rehabilitation with an emphasis on the patient’s ability to perform and return to daily activities.
Qualifying for Swing Bed Care
Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, along with some commercial plans will cover costs associated with care at Hardeman County Memorial Hospital for Skilled Care or Swing Bed. However, the patient must meet certain criteria. The patient must be required to receive acute hospital care for at least three consecutive days before SNF care in a swing-bed is an option. The patient must be stable and require daily skilled care, or rehab that is required five days a week. A physician’s authorization is needed, and the patient must participate in Medicare Part A or another insurance plan that will cover the costs of swing-bed care.
Services provided during Swing Bed Care- physical therapy, speech therapy, iv medication therapy, monitoring of vital signs, wound care. At Hardeman County Memorial Hospital we have low nurse to patient rations, weekly MD visits, twice daily rehab services and much more.