T.J. Samson | Destination Health | February 2021

HEALTH NUT Walnuts are rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Sprinkle them on your cereal in the morning, or toss some on a salad for a healthy crunch. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics JOIN THE CROWD If you’re thinking about giving up smoking, know that you’ll be in good company. Former smokers now outnumber current smokers in the U.S. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services NOT A GOOD MIX Taking low-dose aspirin to protect your heart? Taking ibu- profen at the same time could interfere with the benefits of aspirin. Talk to your doctor first. U.S. Food and Drug Administration I f you or a loved one could benefit from a short stay in a skilled nursing facility, T.J. Health Columbia may have the ideal solution for you. It’s called the Swing Bed program. Swing Bed is not a type of bed but a special program that allows certain pa- tients to transition from a hospital stay to skilled nursing care before going home. It’s for patients who aren’t quite ready to be home on their own but don’t need all the care available in a typical hospital stay. “So it’s kind of like you’re swinging from your acute hospitalization care to transitional care and then to home,” says Melissa Harper, RN, Director of Case Management and Business Operations at T.J. Health Columbia. AN ARRAY OF SERVICES Patients who are eligible for Swing Bed care are those who need short-term skilled nursing services such as: ● Daily physical, occupational or speech therapy. ● Intravenous therapy. ● Wound care. ● End-of-life care. ● Dietary and nutritional therapy. ● Pain management. “We provide any type of skilled nursing care,” Harper says. “For example, if a patient had a new gastric tube or a new tracheostomy tube, we can provide that care. We can teach the family how to provide care too.” WHO’S ELIGIBLE? To qualify for the Swing Bed program, a person has to have stayed at least three consecutive nights in an acute care hos- pital within the past 30 days.They must have an ongoing diagnosis from that hospital stay that requires them to receive skilled nursing services. Most insurance—including Medi- care—will cover Swing Bed care. “We can keep patients up to 20 days, as long as they require the skilled nursing care we provide,” Harper says. MANY BENEFITS “One of the benefits for our area is that patients don’t have to go out of town for skilled care,” Harper says. “Another benefit is that we provide short-term rehabilitation with highly qualified therapists. And we offer therapy to our patients at least five days a week.” T.J. Health Columbia opened its Swing Bed program with 10 certified beds on Oct. 12.Their first patient arrived on that very same day. Swing Bed program A safe transition before heading home Need Swing Bed care? For more information, call Melissa Harper at 270-384-4753, ext. 2226 . Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Platteville, WI Permit No. 7 T.J. Samson Community Hospital 1301 N. Race St. Glasgow, KY 42141 FEBRUARY 2021