Any one of the 15 patient beds at UHS Delaware Valley Hospital can be filled by patients who have been discharged from the hospital but still need a level of care that can’t be provided at home. Inpatient physical rehabilitation services at UHS Delaware Valley, also referred to as “swing bed,” provides patients with physical therapy, occupational therapy, intravenous drug therapy, wound care and/or skilled nursing while they continue to recover.
“Swing bed is short-term physical rehab for someone who had an illness, surgery or injury and is getting better but is not yet ready to go home,” explains Lorraine Carrillo, Social Services program manager at the Walton hospital. “It’s a transition to get them ready to go back home.
Patients come to inpatient physical rehabilitation after discharge from hospitals throughout the region. They choose UHS Delaware Valley to be closer to home and stay for a few days to a few weeks. In addition to prescribed treatment and therapies, patients can participate in daily activities and benefit from nutrition counseling and discharge planning.
“Each patient is looked at individually and has their own plan of care. The goal is to get them to be as independent as possible and get them to their previous level of functioning,” says Ms. Carrillo. “When they are ready to go home, we help them set up what they need for that next step, whether it’s equipment or home care services.”
