Are you wondering what is a swing bed in a hospital? This term does not mean a literal bed; instead, it refers to a program.
In this article, we will feed your curiosity about the swing beds in a hospital.
Swing beds are services for patients scheduled to be discharged but require physical or mental care before going home.
This program is designed to treat a swing patient for a short time.
In addition, this service includes complete instruments used for activities prepared for the patients, or in other words.
This organization purposely function as a rehabilitation.
Scroll down to know more about swing beds!
What A Swing Bed Is In A Hospital?
Here is a further description of what is a swing bed in a hospital is:
Swing bed is a medical service that facilitates 24-hour medical care for patients who are undergoing the program.
The program allows patients to “shift” around levels of care, from minimal medical care (hospitalization) to health restoration and skilled nursing facilities.
This statement means that if the patient’s condition no longer necessitates hospitalization but continually requires rehabilitation.
A patient can prolong to stay in the hospital only in a different environment and level of care.
During swing bed care, a patient received enough treatment in every aspect through activities they will execute.
At the end of each swing bed period, the medical staff will evaluate if the patient can go home.
Or maybe, the patient may proceed on a higher level of care known as a skilled nursing facility.
Moreover, the skilled nursing facility is the stage where medical care is 100% performed.
All the scientific professionals do this to cure more Ill patients swing beds can not handle.
Requirements To Be In A Swing Bed In Hospital
Being in the swing bed in a hospital is not dependable on the patient’s willingness to join.
There are several bases if a patient needs short-term rehabilitation. These bases are recorded by the medical staff who are assigned for the observation.
The following are the requirements to be included in a swing bed:
- In addition, the patient must have been hospitalized.
- The patient must acquire a stable medical status.
- The patient must have the authorization of the physician they wish to assign to the patient.
- The patient must have three days of acute hospital care.
What Specific Care A Patient Receives In A Swing Bed?
The swing bed program aims to make sure the patient returns to its original healthy condition where their body functions well.
A swing bed offers different treatments and activities that will help the patient recover back to their healthy state to reach this goal.
The following are the specific care swing bed in the hospital offers:
Offer #1. Stroke therapy
This offer includes activities such as speech, minimal movement, and exercise for the senses.
Offer #2. Orthopedic rehabilitation
This offer is for those patients who just had surgery relating to bones.
Offer #3. Intravenous therapy
These therapies are for these patients who need direct fluid insertion care.
Offer #4. Physical therapy
This offer is open for all the patient who needs body function restoration.
- Specialized wound care
- Body weakness care due to chronic related diseases
- Accessible dietician and nutritionist
- 24 hour dry of professional nurses and medical staffs
Until When A Patient Can Be In Swing Bed?
To emphasize, a swing bed in a hospital is not for long-term care.
It is between the hospitalization and the skilled nursing facility.
It is either the patient return home or proceeds to much-specialized care.
The average number of days a patient can spend in a swing bed is one to two weeks.
Hence, if a patient shows sudden improvement in few days, they can be sent home.
Who Pays For Swing Bed Service?
In most cases, government or private insurances covers all the costs of the swing bed program.
These insurances include the instrument, medicines, therapies, and laborers.
On the other hand, this is only applicable to the patients who have acquired the following insurances.
Otherwise, the patient will shoulder the payment himself.
Additionally, Medicare is recognized to be the one who pays all the swing bed bills.
However, a patient must participate in three-day acute care to acquire a 100% coverage of post-hospitalization offered by Medicare.
Here’s a tip:
If you think you are not well enough after being hospitalized, take the opportunity.
Join the three-day acute care so you can get a 100% free swing bed service.
Final Words
Hearing unfamiliar terms always leave us curious.
So, enriching our brains with knowledge is a smart move.
These terms some times means different than the way it sounds, like the swing bed.
The typical people like you may think it’s all about bed kinds of stuff but guess what, there is the underlying meaning behind it.
So, it is such a pleasure meeting a curious mind here.
We thank you for reaching this last part of the reading.
Hopefully, we gave enough information and answered your question about “what is a swing bed in a hospital?”
Your time and effort are appreciated.