Swing Bed Rehabilitation Program

About Us

A stay in the hospital can be a difficult time for anyone, especially if an intensive surgery or severe illness was involved. Getting back on your feet during your recovery period can be a trying task, and a little bit of help can go a long way in the coming weeks.

The Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital Swing Bed Program exists to bridge the gap between your hospital stay and being ready to function at home. The program provides skilled nursing and therapy care to those who are transitioning from their recovery after illness, injury, or surgery.

What is Swing Bed?

In many instances, patients are discharged from a traditional hospital setting even though they may still need rehabilitative or skilled nursing care. A Swing Bed Program offers the medical care and assistance in a home-like setting, which best prepares the patient for transition.

At Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, we are proud to offer a comprehensive Swing Bed program to assist our valued patients with their recoveries. Our team of therapists, physicians and nurses provide hands-on support to help patients relearn basic activities, recuperate, and regain their maximum level of independence.

The rehabilitation team’s medical director is a physiatrist. Richard Vermuelen, MD is a Doctor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He brings the following to our team:

• Focused treatment on function
• Broad medical expertise that allows them to treat disabling conditions throughout a person’s lifetime
• Diagnose and treat pain as a result of an injury, illness, or disabling condition
• Determine and lead a treatment/prevention plan
• Leads our team of medical professionals, which may include physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physicians
• Extenders to optimize patient care
• Work with other physicians, which may include primary care physicians, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and many others.
• Treat the whole person, not just the problem area.

Commonly treated conditions include:
Stroke, Failure to Thrive, Joint Replacement, Fracture, Wounds, Amputation.

We make it our top priority to help our patients feel comfortable walking, dressing, bathing, and eating on their own, whilst encouraging participation in other physical activities.

Patients are requested to wear their own comfortable clothing in order to be able to participate in their rehabilitation therapy. We also emphasize the need to remain social and interactive with family, friends, other patients and staff to enhance both mental and physical recovery.

What Services Are Available While In Swing Bed Care?

Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital offers the most comprehensive Swing Bed Program in Manistique, combining the expertise of many different disciplines to ensure all our patients’ needs are covered. These include:

• Social Services and Discharge Planning
  • Social work is a valuable resource utilized in the swing bed program. Medical social workers arrange all available resources to assist with a patient’s recovery and achieving their optimal well-being.  After completing a comprehensive assessment of a patient’s needs, they work with the patient and their family, other support systems, and other health service providers to coordinate an individualized discharge plan for the swing bed patient. This may include home health services, medical equipment, transportation, home delivered meals, counseling, or other follow-up treatments.
• 24/7 care with skilled nurses and providers.
  • Skilled nursing services such as wound care and IV therapy
• Physical and Occupational Therapy
• Nutritional Counseling
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services
• Ancillary Services
  • Laboratory
  • Medical Imaging
  • Cardiopulmonary Care
  • Activities
  • Diabetic Education

“I was especially impressed by the program’s team approach”.

Who Is Eligible For Swing Bed Care?

A variety of insurances are accepted, including Medicare, Medicare Plus Blue, Humana and many commercial products.  Our team of experts can assist with this process.

The patient must be covered by insurance and have been admitted:

~to the hospital as an inpatient for at least three (3) consecutive qualifying days before entering the skilled/swing program.
~to the skilled/swing program within thirty (30) days of discharge from the hospital.
~for the same condition for which they were treated in the hospital.
~certified by a doctor as needing skilled services on a daily basis.
~requiring daily skilled services on an inpatient basis (services which cannot be provided in a lesser care setting).

“The entire staff involved in my care was constantly patient, caring, compassionate and encouraging”.

Medicare Skilled Nursing Benefit

Skilled nursing care is approved and paid for by Medicare. It is covered under the Skilled nursing facility benefit.  Factors for determining coverage include an evaluation of the specific illness, care needs and length of stay, all of which will be discussed with the patients through their physician or social services.

Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital’s Interdisciplinary team will meet regularly to discuss the patient’s recovery.  When their needs no longer require skilled/swing level of care, we provide assistance in arranging services for home health care, outpatient, or transition into a long-term care facility.
SCMH Swing Bed Services Brochure – Download