Swing Bed Care Supports Local Man’s Recovery

On a chilly Groundhog Day in 2024, while many people checked to see if the animal saw its shadow, Dennis Savage, 75, was working to clear out a damaged tree after a storm. But after the tree fell on him, pinning him to the ground, he found himself in a life-threatening situation.

The Chillicothe, Missouri, native was able to reach his cell phone in his shirt pocket and called 911. The call pinged the county sheriff—his neighbor across the street—who immediately rushed over because he recognized the location.

After being transported via Life Flight to a Kansas City-area hospital, providers determined Dennis had a fractured spine, a crushed left leg and foot, bruises, and broken ribs. After three weeks in the hospital, he was able to come home to Chillicothe, by transitioning to the swing bed program at Hedrick Medical Center, which provided skilled nursing care to help him regain his strength and return to the outdoor activities he loves.

“The first couple of weeks before I got to Hedrick, I felt depressed by the fact that I missed people that I wanted to visit with and needed that support,” Dennis says. “It had an effect on me once I got closer to home because family came to visit with no inconvenience.”

The swing bed inpatient rehab program assists patients who have been in the hospital for at least three consecutive days and need additional support while recovering from a severe condition such as a major injury.

For patients like Dennis, who spent six weeks at Hedrick Medical Center’s swing bed program, one of the major benefits is that swing bed programs are often closer to home, meaning friends and family can visit more easily. This often has a positive impact on a person's recovery.

Additionally, swing bed staff work closely with the patient's providers and family members to develop a recovery plan focused on rebuilding strength and function.

"Physical therapy would see me almost every day,” Dennis says. “We would do a few exercises in the morning, and then again after lunch to get me out of bed."

On April 3, 2024, Dennis was able to return home and continued outpatient physical therapy through the middle of June.  

“They literally got me back on my feet, the staff worked with me, and I'd recommend swing bed care to anybody,” he says.

Six weeks after his last physical therapy session, surgeons at a Kansas City metro hospital removed the metal pins from Dennis’ left foot, leaving him able to walk freely.

Now fully recovered, Dennis has returned to the things he enjoys, such as working at a local pharmacy and maintaining his pride and joy: his family’s 50 acres of land with timber and three ponds.  

“I like to do landscaping and make things look better with my shop tools—I’m kind of a fix-it guy,” Dennis says.

Dennis advises people to ask about their options and find out if they can recover closer to home through swing bed care rather than going to a large city hospital.

“When Hedrick was suggested for swing bed, I took it because I knew a lot of the folks over there, and I think it's a fine program,” he says.

If you or a loved one is ready to be discharged from the hospital but not quite well enough to return home, a transitional stay at your hometown hospital may be just what you need to help rebuild strength, function, and confidence. For patients who’ve been in a hospital miles away, transferring to a swing bed program close to home—near friends and family—can provide added convenience and even help speed the healing process. Learn more about our swing bed program.