Patient Credits Morrow County Hospital’s Swing Bed Program With Concussion Recovery
Carol Denman didn’t realize how badly she was hurt when she hit her head after walking into her garage door. In fact, she hit her head twice- once on her garage door, the other on the floor when she was knocked backwards. She was about to drive to see her daughter, but as she felt her head in her car, she realized she was bleeding.
“It was bleeding so bad,” said Denman. “I called my daughter and she said, ‘I’ll be right there.’”
After several x-rays and an MRI at OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, Denman was told she had a severe concussion.
She spent the next week in the hospital before being referred to OhioHealth Morrow County Hospital’s Swing Bed Program. As a Marion resident, Denman knew she wanted to stay somewhere close to home so her family could visit her. That’s when her rehabilitation journey ramped up.
“Care to be prepared to go home safely”
According to Rehabilitation Manager Lisa Fuller, MPT, the Swing Bed Program is specifically for patients who need further rehabilitation before they can return home safely.
“If you’re in the Swing Bed Program, you’re here for rehab,” said Fuller. “You get rehab two times a day, and then Saturday and Sunday as well.”
Fuller says the rehab is customized to the patient’s routine at home, ensuring when they return, they can do normal activities safely.
“We look at the whole picture of a person,” said Fuller. “If they have stairs, we work on stairs. If they have balance issues, we work on balance. Really, it’s care to be prepared to go home safely.”
In Denman’s case, this meant getting back her balance and being able to do simple hygiene tasks by herself.
“They had me get up and transfer over to a chair once I was able to do more and followed me to the bathroom,” said Denman. “I stood up and brushed my teeth at the sink.”
“They care”
While Denman found the rehabilitation at Morrow County Hospital extensive and helpful, it was the overall care she was most impressed with.
“If you've got to have something wrong, you don't want to go to someplace where they treat you like you're just a number,” said Denman. “And here, they treated me like a person.”
Denman recounted the number of times nurses would accompany her during meals and stop by throughout the night. As a smaller community hospital, Denman said the attention Morrow County Hospital was able to give her was second to none.
“Anything that I thought I needed, I didn't even have to say it,” said Denman. “They just did it. They were right on top of it.”
During National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, Denman wanted to share her story to highlight how effective rehab can be. She also wanted to remind the Morrow County community of this resource that’s in their own backyard.
Fuller says patients eligible to come to the Swing Bed Program must spend at least three days at a hospital and get a referral to the unit from a doctor. Common reasons for stays in the rehabilitation unit include falls, fractures, or surgeries. For more information on Morrow County Hospital’s Swing Bed Program, click here.
