Anywhere that a large population of a single species exists, pests invariably show up. It doesn’t take a young adult living independently very long to realize that if they don’t take out the trash, they will have to deal with mice, cockroaches or other pests as a result of that neglect. Proper cleanliness and attention to detail is the only way for people living in shared spaces to avoid infestations.
Unfortunately, the overworked and often underpaid staff at the average nursing home may not care that much about cleanliness if they can barely make it to each of their residents once per shift. As someone with a loved one in an assisted care facility, you want to know that your family member receives an appropriate standard of care. Any sign of pests or insects is a red flag for neglect in the facility.
Rodents, lice and even scabies can spread quickly in nursing homes
Pests that attack the human body or live off of human refuse don’t take very long to colonize a space. Even clean facilities can wind up with a minor infestation caused by someone bringing pests in from outside. At good facilities, residents receive routine checks to ensure that they are clean and healthy. Those checks should alert staff right away to the presence of dangerous pests and infestations.
Rodents can bring with them filth and disease, while lice, scabies and other infestations that directly attack the human body can cause a host of medical symptoms, including potentially fatal injuries and infections. Simply having a loved one with a mild case of lice or even scabies is not necessarily indicative of neglect. However, any untreated infestation is a red flag.
Your loved one should have access to the best care, and the facility should undergo drastic cleaning and quarantine procedures to limit the spread of the infestation and protect their residents. If a facility does not take timely action to help heal your loved one and clean the space in which they live, you may need to take legal action to force them to do so.
