6 HEALTH COMPASS EARLY SUMMER 2024 Not every patient is ready to go home from the hospital right away. CMH’s Medicare-certified Swing Bed program offers continued care to support patients with transitioning from a hospital stay to the next stage of their recovery. The program expanded in 2023 to be available to more patients than ever before. As a result, CMH’s number of Swing Bed patient days grew by 99%. While in the Swing Bed program, patients are encouraged to work toward independence. This may include: • Wearing their own clothes. • Increasing their ability to meet activities of daily living (showering or bathing, grooming, and toileting). • Eating meals out of bed. • Participating in daily activities. When the care plan allows it, patients may leave on day passes for home visits, outpatient medical appointments or other activities. ‘I felt encouraged’ Steve* is a former Swing Bed patient. He entered CMH’s program after a weeklong hospital stay. He was hospitalized after having multiple falls caused by undiagnosed diabetes. “The choice to move me (to Swing Bed) went very well,” Steve says. “I was able to do more than I was able to do during previous durations I had been at the hospital. I could do more in this room, and I did not need to have supervision like (my) other visits.” Steve stayed in the Swing Bed program for three days. The goal of the program is to prepare patients for meeting their care needs independently when they go home. Patients can expect less involvement from the nursing staff and a weekly visit from their doctor. “The nice thing about my experience was that the amount of interference or checking on me was reduced considerably — I’d say by about 50%,” Steve says. Steve’s nursing team still monitored him to help him get out of bed if he needed assistance. “The help I received via the doctor’s orders was very good,” Steve says. “The amount of time I had to be woken up to read vital signs was reduced, too, which was very nice.” Swing Bed patients’ care teams can assist them with personalizing their room and creating opportunities to take part in activities they enjoy, like crafting or playing games. Patients are also able to wear their own clothes and have visitors more frequently. “I felt encouraged. Being 89 years of age, being able to move and being able to move from a normal stay to the Swing Bed gave me mental encouragement that ‘I’m on my way to being released,’” Steve says. “There’s a lot more freedom in the program, which I greatly appreciated.” *Patient wished to remain anonymous, so their name was changed to protect their anonymity. Swing Bed care provides flexibility and freedom QUESTIONS ABOUT SWING BED? You can find answers and more information at columbiamemorial.org/swing-bed.
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