By Mike McCormack, PT, and Jen Studin, OT
In recognition of September’s National Rehabilitation Awareness Week (Sept. 15-21), Grace Cottage would like to highlight the unique “swing bed” rehabilitation services it provides as a hospital that offers swing-bed care.
What exactly is “swing bed”? Have you heard this term?
A swing bed hospital program offers short-term skilled nursing in a facility that has 24/7 RN coverage and access to on-site hospital services such as labs, diagnostic imaging, pharmacy, and on-site physicians, plus physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
What kind of patients qualify for a swing bed hospital stay? Swing bed services are reserved for patients recovering from surgery, like those who have had hip/knee replacements, or are recovering from strokes, pneumonia, or serious illnesses such as COVID-19, or who need ongoing wound care, IV antibiotics, and/or have generalized weakness from prolonged hospitalization. It is for patients who need daily skilled nursing and skilled physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy services.
The rehabilitation services offered by a swing bed program aim to prepare patients to care for themselves independently. It is an alternative to a nursing facility, offered in a full-service hospital.
Swing bed patients may arrive through the emergency room or be transferred from another hospital following a three-day (or longer) acute stay. From there, they may “swing” into a longer stay to focus on recovery and rehabilitation.
Grace Cottage is proud to offer exceptional swing-bed services closer to home for many of our patients.
Physical Therapy’s Role in Recovery
Physical therapy (PT) plays a vital role in helping patients regain independence during their swing bed stay. The goal is simple: to get you home as soon and as safely as possible.
For many Vermonters, home may mean an old farmhouse with narrow hallways, steep stairs, or long distances between rooms—everyday challenges that can become barriers after a hospital stay. Following a stroke, surgery, or accident, tasks that were once automatic may now feel difficult.
That’s where PT steps in. Therapists focus on gait training, lower extremity strengthening, and balance activities to prepare patients for the realities of home. Therapy sessions often simulate daily tasks, like navigating stairs or walking with an assistive device (crutches, cane, walker, etc.), so patients leave not only stronger, but also more confident.
With PT support, swing bed patients can return home safely and resume the lives and routines they value most.
Occupational Therapy’s Role in Recovery
The role of Occupational Therapy (OT) in a swing bed program is also to help patients regain the skills and independence they need to return home safely after hospitalization.
The goals of OT are patient-centered, based on the individual’s condition, lifestyle, recovery potential, and personal needs. OT focuses on helping patients regain their independence with daily tasks like bathing, grooming, toileting, and feeding themselves. This may include helping a patient come up with different ways to do things or environmental modifications so activities can be continued while compensating for any lasting impairment, always with the goal of improving safety.
For example, work is done to increase the patient’s ability to transfer from a chair, bed, toilet, or shower; walk with an assistive device; and if needed, to use various techniques to support cognitive and communication dysfunction.
OTs work hard to help patients regain strength and endurance, which includes working with the patient to create an individualized strengthening program to help them recover.
OT works as a member of a multi-disciplinary team composed of physical therapists, speech therapists, nurses, medical staff, family/caregivers, and social workers to deliver the best holistic care possible for patients to achieve the highest level of independent function so they can return home.
Speech-Language Pathology’s Role in Recovery
Grace Cottage is thrilled now to also offer Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) as part of our swing bed (and outpatient) rehab program! This new service goes beyond speech—it also helps with swallowing and thinking skills like memory and problem-solving.
For patients recovering from stroke, illness, or injury, SLP can mean the difference between struggling and thriving at home. From teaching safe swallowing strategies, to improving communication with loved ones, our SLP team helps patients return home safer, stronger, and more confident. With SLP now on board, Grace Cottage provides the full spectrum of rehab care—right here in our community.
Being a rehab therapist is a rewarding career. Helping patients regain independence so they can return home and enjoy their pre-injury life is extremely rewarding.
Says Jen, “Over the course of my 27 years as an OT, I have been blessed to work with many patients who have entered the hospital immobile and not able to perform basic self-care tasks. After working with them for a few weeks and providing weeks of intense rehabilitation, I see them progress to the point that they can return home and care for themselves. It is the ability to help a patient regain their independence, their life, that makes this work worth doing.”
Mike says, “The best part of my job is that I get to help people from all walks of life. We’re all unique individuals and we all have different goals. As a PT, it’s my job to be a good communicator and educator to help patients get back to what they need to do – no matter what that is. Here at Grace Cottage, I’m allowed the space to give extra care with patients in a fun and meaningful way.”
Grace Cottage’s swing bed program is just one of many services available at Grace Cottage. To learn more, call 802-365-3637, or for a referral, call 802-365-3614.
