Swing Bed Program offers skilled nursing care
Originally published in The Central Oregonian
Tuesday, February 5, 2008.
The Swing Bed Program at Pioneer Memorial Hospital strikes a resonant chord among our caregiving team. When I asked nurses to talk with me about this program, the response was immediate and positive.
First, let’s answer the question, what exactly is a Swing Bed? Does it hang from the ceiling and imitate the gentle motion of a berth on a seagoing vessel? No. There is no physical motion to a swing bed. Instead the term refers to the fact that a patient’s care needs may change, but they do not have to move to receive the care they need. The bed can “swing” from the acute care needed following a surgery or to recover from a serious illness, and change to skilled nursing care, the kind needed to strengthen people so they are able to return home to their lives and families. The Swing Bed Program is a Medicare certified skilled nursing and rehabilitation program.
Therapies and activities are planned for these patients, based upon their individual needs, working closely with their doctor. These activities are designed to build strength in hands, legs and feet, to recover eye-hand coordination that may have been lost and to increase sureness of balance for walking. Patients may need speech therapy or occupational therapy. All these needs and more are taken into consideration in the planning and implementation process.
“Our typical patient, most of the time, is pretty well,” states Pam Moulton , CNA, activities coordinator for the PMH Swing Bed Program. “But they need to build strength or to have therapies so they can get back to their normal lives. For example, we practice walking, sitting, leg raises. Sometimes we kick a ball back and forth. Physical therapists can come to the room, or we can deliver them to that department, where more intensive work can happen. Or we work on puzzles or with craft projects.”
Another element of swing bed care that really helps, according to Moulton is the talking . “I get to talk with each patient. Talking, I think, is a good part of their recovery,” she said. “I am fascinated by the stories our patients tell me about their lives, past and present. They tell me stories about ranch life, about hunting and fishing, the big one that got away.
“I’m a big fishing fan, and some of our patients have stories about their personal fishing holes,” Moulton said. “Sometimes they even tell me where they are. Then I go and try them out, and they are right. Sometimes, though, they keep them secret.”
The benefit is not only for the patient held in care. “I love my job because I can take the time with each patient to get to know them, to find out what their interests are. I enjoy spending time with each one, and I can see a difference. What I do really helps,” she said.
There is no upper or lower age limit to admitting a patient to the Swing Bed Program. “This past year, we had a little patient who was so bored with being in the hospital, we really needed things for her to do. One of our nurses went shopping especially for activities she could do,” Moulton recalled.
Another patient the caregivers spoke about was older, and when admitted, there was not much hope for him to recover. But his doctor and the caregiving staff refused to give up on him. They kept working with him, and eventually he began to come around. He was transferred to swing bed care, and built up his strength. He was able to go home to resume his life.
“We do have miracles that happen in this area,” states Wendy Dunbar, RN, PMH Medical-Surgical Care Unit and swing bed nurse manager.
“It is most important that ‘Prinevillians’ realize they get to stay in Prineville, that families don’t have to go out of town to visit a loved one as they recover,” Dunbar said. “Our goal is to keep improving the activities and therapies we offer our patients, to keep refining them so we offer them the very best.”
The PMH Swing Bed Program could use donations for these activities, Moulton said. Items she is looking for include simple puzzles, games that patients can play by themselves or with visitors, decks of cards, coloring books and crayons, books of puzzles, connect the dots and drawing paper. The program could also use books on tape, cassette tape players, CD players, VHS and DVD movies – especially classic movies. Music enjoyed by patients includes country Western favorites, oldies and church music.
Your doctor has more information about the medical aspects of the PMH Swing Bed Program.
To arrange to make a donation to the program, contact the hospital at 447-6254.