scabies in care home

[wendyg70]

Hi everyone, been a long time since Ive posted, but I like to dip in and out from time to time, there is always a wealth on information and advice which is so gratefully received. Which is why Im back...to pick your brains if i may.

Dad has been in the care home now for coming up a year and we're quite happy with the care he has received. However, recently he has developed an itchy rash, mainly on his torso (front and back) but also on his legs and arms, we thought that they looked like an insect bite. The care home's own doctor took a look at dad last week. The senior carer on dads ward/unit spoke to us as told us that the doctor had said that it 'wasnt scabies' we hadnt even mentioned scabies to them, it hadnt even crossed our minds to be honest, so the suggestion that it may have been scabies obviously came from the care home. However, the doctor has prescribed some Permethrin/Lyclear for dad which I understand is specifically for scabies or crab lice. I have done a little bit of research myself and it certainly looks and sounds like scabies to me. I know that several of the other residents at the home have rashes too. I feel that maybe the carehome are trying to cover this up.

What makes me cross is that we are always visiting dad, mum is there every single day without fail. She was actually asked to apply his Lyclear herself (dad can be very difficult) It hadnt occured to mum that what he may have could be highly contagious with prolonged contact. Im worried now that we're all infected!!!

Apart from the obvious, treating everyone and making people (visitors) aware, what else should they be doing?? Do they have to report this as an infestation outbreak or report it to infection control somewhere??

Thanks in advance
Itchy Wendy!! :eek:

[Kathphlox]

I found this on Yahoo answers.. http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...9073135AA75WDH

The manager is responsible for reporting the 'suspected' outbreak to the Infection Control Team at the Primary Care Trust and also inform Care Quality Commission if this is verified.
You could anonymously report this to Vulnerable Adult Team at social services for investigation - it is confidential, they would swoop in unannounced.
Source(s):
Ex RN & Home manager, 30 yrs.

My father caught scabies while in respite, they denied he caught it there of course.

It took me months to get him clear, after 4 lots of 2 treatments with permethrin he still had it. I insisted that dad's own doctor came to see him and he did come instead of sending out one of the other doctors who kept on prescribing the permethrin. I actually broke down while he was there.

He told me, don't treat yourself, you don't need to, stop all the spraying with insectiside and stop washing everything you can find every day. He prescribed Derbac-M. That was it, it was all clear within a few weeks, he also prescribed special Aqueous cream to wash him with and Double Base cream to repair all his damaged skin.. Dad has never been in respite since.. but I'm needing a break, so I will see about different care home, even though he's been in that one before and there were some things I wasn't happy with.

It's very worrying and I would report it to the PCT

[JPG1]

The Health Protection Agency has an excellent document :
The Management of Scabies Infection in the Community:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFil.../1194947308867

Another HPA doc :
Infection Control Guidelines - Care Homes
http://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFil.../1194947342171

Section G4 deals with scabies, with much the same content as the other document.

However small the outbreak in a care home, it most certainly must not be ignored.

Hope the itching stops soon.

[sussexsue]

Mum's CH had an outbreak of scabies. We all received letters telling us about it and there were signs on all the main doors. The bedding and towels of ALL residents received double hot washes. Every surface had a major disinfect. Any resident who showed the slightest sign was treated.

A LOT of work for the staff but the problem was quickly fixed.

[Lenka]

Hi,
I was working in 3 different care homes during my career as a care-assistant. In a most recent place ( one nursing home in East Sussex) I noticed how bad skin the residents have. Nearly all of them had nasty, itchy rashes. I did not think about it until my skin started to itch. I never had this problem before I thought it was a fungal infection. After that my partner started to itch, we went to a doctor, who diagnosed it as scabies. I told a male nurse about it, who advised me not to tell the management, because their answer was to that kind of complaint : we (care staff or the visitors) caught it outside the care home. I had a feeling, nobody wanted to recognise this skin problem. The home's doctor denied it as well. My partner called the Care Quality Comission ( or whatever is this) and they had to push a management to take steps against scabies. It was one year ago, most of the residents still have itchy skin rashes and nothing is done. I think a management do not want to acknowledge the problem,they would rather sweep it under the carpet. It is much easier, than to eradicate scabies.

[jenniferpa]

Can I just point out that the original posts on this thread were made some time ago.