Swing Bed Program physical therapists Jim Bettencourt and Delaney Springer highlight the equipment in the new Physical Therapy room at Orchard Hospital. 

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) – Orchard Hospital staff showed off the newly renovated East wing on May 13.

The remodeling took six months to a year, according to Orchard Hospital employees Alyssa Hall and Gloria Vasquez. However, renovation efforts to the entire hospital are ongoing.  

“They had to get it all up to code,” Hall said. 

Guests were treated to sandwiches and drinks and then toured the refurbished Physical, Occupational and Recreational Therapy rooms.  

Patient and centenarian Mary Ann Boeger enjoys her time in the Activity room at Orchard Hospital.

The Physical Therapy room is a mini gymnasium with exercise equipment. Physical therapists are on-site 15 hours a day, seven days a week. All 24 patients are seen daily for personalized care.  

In the Occupational Therapy or Life Skills room, patients learn/relearn cooking, eating, laundering and personal care strategies. Patients who have had a stroke and suffer from mobility issues need this therapy, for example.

A full-time occupational therapist will be hired to be available every day.  Renovation of this room took two to three months. 

Recreational therapy takes place in the activity room, where there are puzzles, books, yarn for knitting, paint and paper, magazines and a popcorn machine. 

Here are Orchard Hospital Swing Bed Program employees Alyssa Hall and Gloria Vasquez.

All the rooms function as part of the Swing Bed Program that provides rehabilitation following surgery, illness or injury. The hospital-based program goal is to help patients safely return to their homes or residential facilities through skilled nursing care and therapies. 

The hospital has had the Swing Bed Program since opening in 1949 but for the first time, most of the bedrooms are now single occupancy for patient privacy.

“Most skilled nursing facilities have two, sometimes three patients to a room,” said Hall. “Those facilities usually have 70 to 100 beds but we have only 24 patients, so we have the capability of single rooms. It’s an acute transitional rehabilitation that is short-term. They come here for wound care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, intravenous antibiotics, comfort care or if they need education on their tube feed. We do all that here and then they usually go home. If they can’t go home, then Vasquez works with the family to do placement for long-term care. We have a doctor here 24/7.  Larger facilities have a doctor come once a month and a nurse practitioner who comes once a week.”

The newly refurbished Occupational Therapy room at Orchard Hospital helps patients practice life skills before returning to their homes.  

The length of time for individual treatment depends on the patient’s insurance since every insurance is different, Vasquez said, but usually is a maximum of 100 days.

During the tour, the Gridley Herald met up with patient Mary Ann Boeger, who just recently turned 100 years old. Boeger appeared very spry and was enjoying a jigsaw puzzle with activity coordinator Briana.

“We need to get the word out to people about the changes to the hospital. There’s so much to offer here. I’m just so proud of the people that make the innovations. They made such a good use of space. I love the décor. I like Orchard Hospital,” Boeger proclaimed. 

Born and raised in South Dakota, Boeger came to Gridley at the urging of her brother during World War II. She got a job, met her husband and has lived here ever since. 

“I’ve had a wonderful life out here,” Boeger said. When asked what the secret is to living so long, Boeger replied, “Christian faith, liking people and having young friends. Age is just a number.”