Boca Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer Joe Osborne Says Bed Bugs Pose A Major Threat
Boca Raton, FL, USA, 02/28/2017 /SubmitPressRelease123/
Bed bugs in a nursing home may be a sign of more serious problems warns Boca nursing home neglect lawyer Joe Osborne.
Many of us chose to live in Florida because it’s such a great place to live with a wonderful climate that makes our lives that much more pleasant. The same might be said of a new strain of bed bugs that may be attacking South Florida nursing home residents says Boca nursing home neglect lawyer Joe Osborne.
A strain of bed bug has returned to Florida after sixty years, capable of spreading at twice the rate of other bed bugs, reports WBBH1. This tropical bed bug, which lays more eggs than other types of bed bugs, hasn’t been seen in the state since the 1940’s.
While that’s bad news for everyone, it’s especially bad news for residents of poorly managed nursing homes who can’t handle the problem. In May of last year a Cape Coral nursing home battled an infestation, according to WBBH 2. A North Carolina nursing home had its license temporarily suspended due to a bed bug infestation in 2012, according to WECT3. An infestation must be handled by professionals and only heat (temperatures over 111 degrees) and pesticides can kill them.
Tropical bed bugs feed on human blood and can leave victims with blistery reactions, itchiness and, in severe cases, anxiety and depression. If you’re in a nursing home or hospital, the last thing you want to be dealing with is bedbugs but exterminators saying they’re getting more and more calls for bedbug infestations in nursing homes, hospitals and doctor’s offices.
Almost 60% of pest control professionals have found bedbugs in nursing homes in 2014, according to an industry survey, up from 46% in 2013, reports Health News Florida. Bed bugs are also increasingly found in hospitals and doctors’ offices. Contributing to the problem, states Boca nursing home neglect attorney Osborne:
Pesticides may harm residents and staff so normally they aren’t used in nursing homes.
All the linens, beds and personal effects of residents in affected areas must be washed.
These personal effects may bring bed bugs with them into the facilities.
Hospitals have a lower rate of bed bug problems (36% of professionals reported bed bugs in hospitals, nearly half of the number reporting them in nursing homes) and they’re normally confined to smaller areas.
Hospital cleaning staff, nurses and doctors are vigilant about the problem. If there are bedbugs they’re normally quickly noticed.
Hospitals are normally better lit and better cleaned making it harder for bed bugs to survive and easier to see those that survive.
Argentum, an association of assisted living facilities, has these suggestions for preventing and addressing bed bug infestations:
Staff must be trained to recognize the signs of bed bugs.
Housekeeping and maintenance staff must conduct regular inspections for signs of bed bugs.
Pest management professionals should be notified of signs of bed bugs so they can positively identify the pest and recommend a course of treatment.
If bed bugs are identified a nursing home should be prepared to follow the action and treatment protocols developed with the pest management professional’s recommendations.
If a nursing home is having problems with bed bugs it may be the tip of the iceberg. It can be a sign that staff is ignoring the health and suffering of residents, the facility is not being kept clean enough and management may not want to spend money to help residents.
If you or your loved one is suffering neglect at a South Florida nursing home it’s due to the negligent care by the facility and its employees. To learn more about your legal rights contact Boca nursing home neglect lawyer Joe Osborne at (561) 800-4011 or fill out this online contact form. You can discuss your case, how the law may apply and your best legal options to protect your rights and obtain compensation for your injuries.
Footnotes:
1 WBBH- www.nbc-2.com/story/33684428/tropical-bed-bug-reemerges-in-florida
2 WBBH- www.nbc-2.com/story/31961773/cape-coral-nursing-home-battling-creepy-visitors
3 WECT- www.wect.com/story/19600402/police-called-to-waterbrook-living-facility-during-dss-investigation
4 Health News Florida- http://health.wusf.usf.edu/post/your-roommate-nursing-home-might-be-bedbug
5 Argentum- www.alfa.org/News/2788/Bed-Bug-Infestations-Challenge-Senior-Living-Communities
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