Swing Bed

If you’ve been hospitalized and are recovering from a surgery, illness or injury, the swing bed program at Spooner Health can help you regain strength and increase independence. After a short-term hospital stay, the swing bed program provides patients easy access to skilled nursing and therapy care to make a smooth and safe transition from acute care back to home. Swing bed focuses on rehabilitating the whole person—including physical, emotional and social functioning. So in addition to the variety of services available, patients have the opportunity to participate in various group and individual activities.

An interdisciplinary team will care for patients in the swing bed program. This team will conduct regular meetings with patients and their families to discuss recovery progress and discharge planning. The team may include:

  • Hospitalist
  • Skilled Nursing Care
  • Social Services
  • Physical Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Speech Therapy
  • Dietician & Culinary Services
  • Therapeutic Activity Staff
  • RN Case Manager
Patient Room at Spooner Health

Frequently Asked Questions

When do people need swing bed?
Patients dealing with a wide range of healthcare concerns can benefit from swing bed care, including those who need:

  • Rehab after surgery
  • Rehab after a stroke or accident
  • Wound Care
  • Long-term IV antibiotics
  • Skilled care due to a recent hospitalization

What should I expect as a swing bed patient?

  • Even though swing bed is located in the hospital, patients are encouraged to perform their own daily care to maintain independence and dress in their own clothes as their condition permits.
  • Our spacious, private patient rooms allow our patients to have their own space to recover.
  • Meals are served, and activities are provided, in patient rooms or a group setting.
  • The visitor lounge provides a quiet place for reflection or visiting. A computer allows patients and family members access to the internet.

Does insurance cover Swing Bed?
Spooner Health's swing bed program is Medicare approved. Many private insurance companies will also pay for swing bed, although pre-certification is often required. Self-pay is also an option.

The length of swing bed stay is determined by each patient's condition and may be as short as a few days or as long as a few months.

What are the qualifications?
To qualify (under Medicare) for a swing bed admission, a patient is required to receive acute care services as a hospital inpatient for a medically necessary stay of at least 3 consecutive nights. Patients can be admitted into Spooner Health's swing bed program regardless of where they received their inpatient care.

Admissions into a swing bed program may either occur at discharge from an inpatient hospital stay or within 30 days of discharge from a qualifying inpatient hospital stay.

Patients are required to participate in daily skilled care, nursing and/or rehabilitation (physical, occupational and/or speech therapy) and must show progress towards their goals.

Through various care providers, patients have access to:

  • Skilled nursing care
  • Daily physical, occupational and speech therapy
  • IV therapy
  • Social services
  • Culinary services
  • Recreation and activities
  • Pharmacy