Question 1

UNC Health Johnston in Smithfield mentioned a 'swing bed' — is that the same as a nursing home?

Accepted Answer

No. A swing bed is a hospital bed at a smaller facility like UNC Health Johnston that 'swings' between acute-care and skilled-nursing-level use, letting a patient receive short-term rehab or skilled nursing care without transferring to a separate nursing facility. It is billed under the same Medicare Part A skilled nursing benefit rules (including the three-midnight inpatient requirement) and is typically used for a limited recovery period, not as a long-term nursing home placement. Ask the hospital how many days of swing-bed rehab they anticipate and what the transition plan is if your family member needs longer-term care afterward.

Question 2

WakeMed Cary Hospital wants to discharge my mother straight home with home health — how do we make sure that's actually set up before she leaves?

Accepted Answer

Before your mother leaves WakeMed Cary, ask the case manager for the name and phone number of the specific home health agency assigned to her case and confirm the first visit date in writing, since a referral alone does not guarantee same-day or next-day service. Also confirm what equipment (walker, hospital bed, oxygen) has been ordered and whether it will arrive before or after she gets home. If there's a gap between discharge and the first home health visit, ask whether a short rehab stay is a safer bridge instead.

Question 3

My father in Chapel Hill was just diagnosed with dementia — what should our family do in the first month?

Accepted Answer

Start by asking his diagnosing physician (often through UNC Health's geriatrics or memory program) for a written care plan and a referral to legal and financial planning, since powers of attorney and advance directives need to be signed while he still has capacity to do so. Contact the Central Pines/Triangle J Area Agency on Aging (1-800-310-9777) for local caregiver support resources, adult day programs, and options counseling covering Orange County. Avoid rushing into a move; a dementia diagnosis alone doesn't mean immediate relocation to a facility, but you should start researching Special Care Unit (memory care) options now so you're not deciding under crisis conditions later.

Question 4

My mother fell at home in Apex and is being sent to rehab — what happens if she can't go back home afterward?

Accepted Answer

If your mother's rehab stay ends and she still needs help with daily activities beyond what home care can safely provide, the rehab facility's social worker can help evaluate options ranging from an adult care home (assisted living) to continued skilled nursing on a long-term basis. If she is running low on funds, ask the facility's social worker about applying for long-term-care Medicaid through Wake County DSS and, if she needs nursing-facility-level care but wants to try staying home instead, ask about the CAP/DA Medicaid waiver. Start these conversations early in the rehab stay rather than waiting for discharge day, since Medicaid applications take time to process.

Provider	Based in	Address	County
PruittHealth - Raleigh	Raleigh	2420 Lake Wheeler Road, 27603	Wake
Transitions LifeCare	Raleigh	250 Hospice Circle, 27607	Wake
Holly Springs Senior Living	Holly Springs	100 East Hickory Avenue, 27540	Wake
The Springs of Ballentine	Fuquay-Varina	40 Rawls Club Road, 27526	Wake
Louisburg Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center	Louisburg	202 Smoke Tree Way, 27549	Franklin
Siler City Care & Rehabilitation	Siler City	900 West Dolphin Street, 27344	Chatham

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