Inpatients at Kossuth Regional Health Center enjoy private, comfortable rooms with spacious, easy-to-access restrooms and plenty of space for guests to visit. KRHC is licensed for 25 beds. Most rooms are private, but semi-private rooms are also available. KRHC provides nursing care for patients of all ages, from newborns and children to adults and elderly patients.
What Is Skilled Nursing Care?
After an illness, stroke, injury or surgery, a patient may be getting better but still needs some additional care before returning to a home environment. Skilled nursing is a level of hospitalization for patients who require these services.
Skilled nursing services (Swing Beds) are extremely beneficial when a patient is ready to leave the acute care level of a hospital stay, but is not yet well enough to return home. Skilled nursing patients are cared for on the third floor by our staff of health care professionals.
A Discharge Planner from another facility will assist in transferring a patient to KRHC for skilled nursing services or, in some cases, a patient may stay in the same hospital bed moving from one level of care to another.
Skilled nursing patients at KRHC receive a high quality of care, with better staff to patient ratios than larger facilities. Patients often appreciate the convenience of recovering closer to home as well as families, friends and loved ones.
Services Available
Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance all have their own guidelines regarding skilled nursing care. This makes it important to define a patient’s needs and make sure they are receiving the appropriate level of care to qualify for the appropriate coverage.
Skilled nursing services may include, but are not limited to:
- Rehabilitation services- physical therapy and occupational therapy
- Frequent laboratory monitoring
- IV medications or medications requiring monitoring by professional staff
- Tube feedings and nutritional stabilization
- Wound management/sterile dressing changes
- Qualifying bowel and bladder care
- Respiratory therapy for qualifying procedures
- Care of decubitus ulcers
- Instructions in ostomy or stoma care
- Terminal care for patients needing pain control or skilled supportive care.
Admission Criteria
Medicare’s qualifications for admission to skilled nursing include:
- Three-day (consecutive) acute level of care stay within the past 30 days
- Physician referral for necessary daily skilled service related to hospitalization
- Medicare Part A (Hospital) Benefit or available days remaining in current benefit period.
Who Needs Skilled Nursing Services?
KRHC can offer personalized, convenient care close to home. Patients often choose skilled nursing/ swing bed services at KRHC because they can be closer to family and friends.
Types of patients that are candidates for Skilled Nursing/Swing Bed include, but are not limited to:
- Joint replacements or other orthopedic surgery patients needing frequent physical therapy.
- Stroke patients who need to improve their level of functioning with continued therapy.
- Cardiac patients needing skilled activity programs following a heart attack or acute episode of congestive heart failure.
- Patients requiring wound management/ sterile dressing changes
- Patients with long-term illnesses such as cancer or immune deficiency disease.
For more information on Swing Bed, Skilled Nursing, or Self Pay Care at KRHC, contact 515-295-2451.
Directions For Visitors
Park in the main hospital parking lot located at the front of the hospital and use the main hospital entrance. Stop at the registration desk to be directed.
