The doctors agreed that he can move into a “swing bed” at the Soda Springs Caribou Memorial Hospital. They also decided that he didn’t have to go by ambulance unless mother wanted. When they further told her that Medicare wouldn’t pay for the ambulance, that pretty well sealed the deal. About 3 p.m. this afternoon all the paperwork was done and the portable oxygen needed for the drive had been delivered, so we loaded dad into the front seat of our car and off we went to Soda Springs.
A “swing bed” is a government definition and has nothing to do with whether or not the bed moves. It refers to a bed in a rural hospital (defined as a Skilled Nursing Facility — another government definition) that can be either used for rehabilitation or for acute care. That is, it can be “swung” between these two uses. If a medicaide patient has been in the hospital for at least three days for acute care, and if rehabilitation is needed, then the patient can be moved to a “swing bed” in a rural skilled nursing facility for a period of twenty-one days and Medicare pays the bill. Medicaide pays for the acute care and medicare pays for the rehabilitation care, as I understand it. After twenty-one days, then medicaide will only subsidize rehabilitation in a nursing home facility.
So, dad’s in a “swing bed”. It’s a nice private room with an easy chair and a table with four chairs. He’ll be busy doing physical and occupational therapy for the next few weeks. The paperwork from the hospital here in Pocatello indicates that he has a good prognosis for near complete recovery. The therapist will start with him tomorrow morning.
His heart is very weak. The doctor in Soda Springs explained that normally the heart should pump out 70-80% of the volume of blood in the heart chambers out with each heart beat. Dad is functioning at about 25%. Below 40% is considered to be a very weak heart. That’s a potent opportunity for blood clots to form. His coumadin levels have become “theraputic”, so that should prevent clot formation.
Tonight it’s a quiet night at home watching the Orange Bow. I missed Boise State’s comeback last night to win in overtime! College football is almost over once again. Heavy sigh.