Designed to provide patients with the personalized care required for recovery.
JACKSBORO, Texas (Nov 21, 2022) – Recovering from a hospital procedure far away from home can bring on stress and worry for patients and their families. In Jack County, a specialized program allows some patients covered under Medicare who are not quite ready to go home to recover in a hospital setting right here in the community.
The Transitional Care Program (Swing Bed) at Faith Community Health System (FCHS) offers extended skilled nursing care to patients recovering from a hospital procedure without the need to change facilities. This unique program acts as a bridge between the hospital and home, offering peace of mind to both patients and their families and allowing a more comfortable recovery.
When a patient is assessed care providers focus not only on their recovery but how they will adapt once discharged from the hospital. The comprehensive level of skilled nursing under the Transitional Care Program can make a difference and help our patients recover more efficiently.
A successful recovery requires that patients receive the care they need, when they need it. This program not only makes sure our patients get the personalized care they need it also comforting for families, who know that their loved one is receiving the care he or she needs near home.
The Transitional Care Program, also known as Swing Bed, is designed for patients covered under Medicare who have been admitted to the hospital for at least three days and are not quite ready to go home. Patients may not be ready to be discharged for a variety of reasons, including not having the healthcare resources at home to take care of themselves.
The program is often referred to as Swing Bed in the medical community. A Swing Bed doesn’t actually swing physically, but it swings in the way Medicare reimburses for the care provided to the patient. With
Swing Bed, the hospital can “swing” a patient’s level of care from acute to skilled rehabilitation. If acute care is needed again, the patient can be “swung” back, meaning there is no need to change facilities.
Under the federally funded Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program), Swing Bed
services are fully covered by Medicare for the first 20 days. When care is required past the first 20 days, Medicare becomes a co-insurance that pays for a portion of the service.
As part of the R Transitional Care Program, patients recovering from an acute condition have access to 24-hour skilled nursing services, including nursing, wound care and physical therapy.
Patients can be admitted to the program for a variety of reasons, especially for extended care following extensive surgery such as a hip replacement or open-heart surgery, neurological disorders such as stroke and generalized weakness due to certain chronic conditions.
A referral from a medical provider is required for the Transitional Care Program when it is determined that skilled care will be needed. The coordinator then arranges admission to the program. The program also accepts patients from other facilities so they can recover close to home.
Patients can remain in skilled care as long as there is a documented need for that level of care. Care plans must be developed with a medical provider at the beginning of the stay that establishes progressive goals of recovery.
The Transitional Care Program is also a good option for patients who might otherwise be discharged to a nursing home when all they really need is skilled nursing care for just a few more days before returning home. Ensuring that the patients don’t have to leave the community for recovery services is just another way FCHS looks out for the health and wellness of the community.
The Transitional Care Program is available to anyone who qualifies for Medicare and is in medically documented need of the services that the program offers. For more information, please call Faith Community Health System at 940-567-6633.
