CHI - St. Francis

For Ellen Matuska, the recipe for getting back in the kitchen following a broken hip included a little extra care and rehabilitation at CHI St. Francis Health. Ellen, a resident of Lidgerwood, loves to bake cookies for her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. On February12, a morning of baking sweet treats took a bitter turn when Ellen, then age 91, slipped on a rug and fell while taking a pan out of the oven. Her husband, Lawrence, called 911, and emergency medical services quickly arrived to take Ellen to CHI St. Francis Health. The next day, James Johnson,MD, orthopedic surgeon at CHI St. Francis Health, performed surgery to repair a fracture in Ellen's left hip. Getting Back in the Swing of Things After a week of acute-care recovery in the hospital, Ellen transitioned to swing bed care, a service for patients who need intensive nurse management and rehabilitation before they're able to go home. (See swing bed care in blue box.) "In swing bed care, someone—a nurse or aide—was always with me," Ellen says. "They were really good. One day, I needed my hair xed. An aide said, 'I can do that for you,' and she put myrollers in. "The nurses helped me get up on my feet as much as I could, and a couple therapists visited and did exercises with me," Ellen continues. "I would tell anyone to go to CHI St. Francis Health because the people there are wonderful." After two weeks of swing bed care, Ellen returned home with minimal pain. Therapists visited her for two more weeks of rehabilitation. Ellen, now 92, is back where she loves to be: in the kitchen. "I get around pretty well now," she says. "I have a good husband who's taking care of me. He still has to buckle one of my shoes, but Ican get in the kitchen and bake bread from scratch." If you are hospitalized elsewhere but would like to recover closer to home, ask your physician about receiving swing bed care at CHI St. Francis Health. For more information, contact Steve Krebs at 218-643-0550 or stevekrebs@catholichealth.net. What's Swing Bed Care? When patients need skilled nursing care and rehabilitation following illness, injury, or surgery, they are candidates for swing bed care. This service is delivered in a dedicated unit or collection of acute-care rooms equipped for these patients' needs. CHI St. Francis Health has 10 swing beds. Our swing bed patients receive around-the-clock attention from nurses and work with rehabilitation therapists to rebuild the strength and range of motion they need to return home. Got Better How a Baker www.sfcare.org 3

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