If you or a loved one needs short-term, comprehensive, skilled healthcare services after an acute care stay in a hospital, the Northwestern Medicine Homeward Healing Swing Bed Program may be able to help.

Homeward Healing provides skilled nursing care to patients who may need it before they can transition to home. The staff at Valley West Hospital will create an individual treatment plan for you, and work together to achieve your goals and improve your health and well-being.

Homeward Healing can make the transition from hospital to home safer by helping you reach your highest potential for health and independence before discharge.

Skilled care services

Homeward Healing is ideal for patients who need short-term, skilled nursing care. The average length of stay is one to two weeks, but can be as long as 40 days.

Services

Services may include:

• Wound care management
• Nutritional therapy
• IV antibiotic therapy that does not qualify for home care
• Rehabilitative services, including physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapy

Benefits of Homeward Healing

• Low patient-to-nurse ratio
• Registered nurses on unit 24/7
• Onsite hospital resources, such as radiology, lab and pharmacy
• Private rooms

Who can participate?

Homeward Healing is available to patients who have been hospitalized at Valley West Hospital or another acute-care hospital.

Participation criteria include:

• You must have stayed for three consecutive days at an acute-care hospital prior to admittance into the program.
• You must have a physician authorization and the same diagnosis on admission to the program as you had for your acute-care stay.
• You must have Medicare Part A coverage plus be 65 years of age or on disability, and have coverage remaining for the number of days you’ll remain in the program.
• You must be admitted to the program fewer than 30 days after discharge from acute care.