Care Home Bedding Unhygienic

[luggy]

Hi. Mum moved to a different nursing home a few weeks ago. She's nursed in bed, with late stage dementia. Mum has a hospital style bed with rails and an Airflow mattress. At her previous care home, mum's bed was immaculate with crisp white linen and a hospital blanket. The bedding was always tucked in nicely around her and the sheets/pillowcases were changed 2 or 3 times a day.

Since moving to her new care (nursing) home, I've noticed that mum does not have a top sheet on her bed - there are just a couple of throws (not proper blankets) on top of mum which are usually in a heap and not covering mum properly, so that her legs are sometimes uncovered and her incontinence underwear is on full view. The last time I visited, a couple of mum's pillows didn't even have pillowcases on them. The care home wash all of their linen in-house, including bed linen.

To my way of thinking, that is completely unacceptable, but there is a further issue. When mum's levels of agitation start to increase, she tends to grab hold of her bedding and licks it incessantly and then uses it to vigorously rub all over her face, which has caused eye infections in the past. If she had a clean top sheet, as she did previously, the risk of infection would be lower and the sheet could be changed and laundered.

On 2 occasions recently, I've asked carers why mum doesn't have a top sheet and explained the issue. They didn't give me an answer, but went away and returned with a top sheet for mum's bed. However, when I have visited the next time, there is no top sheet again.

I know I need to take this up with someone further up the chain of command but, before I do, I'm wondering if this type of housekeeping is normal in care homes, as it doesn't seem particularly hygienic to me.

The nursing home in question is supposed to be a high end, lifestyle choice, bells & whistles kind of place. Mum was placed there by the NHS and is currently being funded. However, this funding may be withdrawn in the new year and shelling out the best part of £2,000 a week for a couple of manky throws and no pillowcases on the pillows doesn't sit well.

I'd appreciate any experiences or thoughts. Thank you.

 

[SAP]

This doesn’t sound right to me. In my mums home, not top end at all, the beds are alway clean and usually changed daily . The residents often have just the duvet cover over them at night but only because the place is so warm. The residents who are bed bound are always well covered and kept comfortable.
I would take photos and speak with the manager.

 

[Jale]

I wouldn't be particularly impressed, Mum who is bedbound and in a nursing home either has a sheet and blanket (like the thin hospital blankets) but it is very warm in her room. If the carers think she needs one then they will either give her extra blankets of fleece blankets. At the moment because mum is so cold (poor circulation) then she has a duvet and is usually tucked in, but I will say that sometimes she throws it off and then says she's cold. Her bedding isn't necessarily changed every day but it is always clean - if she spills food/drink then it will be changed.

I would have a word with the manager and relay your concerns,

 

[Jessbow]

I think to expect that sheets and pilowcases being changed 3 times a day is a bit OTT

Once a day, unless soiled/wet of course is more than adequate.

Fleece blankets are easy to launder and dry far quicker that the hospital type knitted cotton ones and it might be that she doesnt lick them as much- much softer than a cotton sheet to wipe round your face.

Maybe you could offer to supply top sheets if they are not the norm

 

[canary]

The care home mum was in didnt have "crisp white sheets" and didnt normally change them multiple times every day, but they were clean and soiled bedding got changed very quickly.

Nevertheless I dont think I would be very happy with lack of pillowcases and loss of dignity

The nursing home in question is supposed to be a high end, lifestyle choice, bells & whistles kind of place.

It does seem to me that many of these types of homes tend to spend the finances on things that look good in the brochure, but skimp on care and the areas that are not so frequently photographed

 

[luggy]

I think to expect that sheets and pilowcases being changed 3 times a day is a bit OTT

Once a day, unless soiled/wet of course is more than adequate.

Fleece blankets are easy to launder and dry far quicker that the hospital type knitted cotton ones and it might be that she doesnt lick them as much- much softer than a cotton sheet to wipe round your face.

Maybe you could offer to supply top sheets if they are not the norm

Hi @Jessbow Thank you for replying. I don't expect the linen to be changed 3 times a day, but mum's previous care home did so for 2 reasons - 1. Because of her agitation levels at mealtimes, the sheets usually became soiled with gravy, custard, rice pudding etc. 2. Due to mum being doubly incontinent, there would often be leakage from her pad onto the bedding. Nor do I expect pillowcases be changed 3 times a day - but I do expect there to be a pillowcase on the pillow in the first place.

Having spoken to one of the nurses today, she agreed that the fibres present in blankets and throws were not ideal for rubbing onto the face and eyes. Today, one of mum's eyes was stuck together with gunk and yellow pus where she had been rubbing at it with her blanket. The nurse immediately fetched a clean top sheet and has written it into mum's care plan that a top sheet should always be placed on mum's bed.

Supply mum's top sheets? Is this the norm in care homes?

Perhaps I'm being too pernickety, but if I see an issue with my mum's care that could potentially (and did) cause her harm, then I will raise the point.

 

[luggy]

The care home mum was in didnt have "crisp white sheets" and didnt normally change them multiple times every day, but they were clean and soiled bedding got changed very quickly.

Nevertheless I dont think I would be very happy with lack of pillowcases and loss of dignity

It does seem to me that many of these types of homes tend to spend the finances on things that look good in the brochure, but skimp on care and the areas that are not so frequently photographed

Thanks @canary I've experienced a few care homes over the years, with MIL, my dad and now my mum - this is my mum's 3rd care home, through no fault of her own. The one mum is in now is aesthetically pleasing, but the nitty gritty is no better than any of the others I've had to deal with.

Hopefully, mum's blanket licking/face rubbing issue has now been resolved. It took one of mum's eyes to become inflamed before anyone would listen to my concern, but the placement of a top sheet on mum's bed has now been written into her care plan, so I can't ask for more than that.

Blanket licking is an unusual issue to have to address, but it is just one manifestation of mum's agitation.