Smells

May

Registered User
Oct 15, 2005
627
0
Yorkshire
Old fashioned housekeeping and enough of it? Not being facetious, but clean equals no nasty smells;)
 

janew

Registered User
Mar 28, 2005
51
0
58
I know how you feel. There was an awful smell where my mum goes and it even used to smell on all her clothes but once they took the old carpet up and put lino down it smells an awful lot better.

Take Care
Jane
 

Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
12,413
0
near London
Yes, a combination of good management and cleaning really.

A modern place is less likely to smell than an older place. Floorboards soak in smells. Single storey properties with concrete based floors work well.

Also, the condition of the residents. A home full of continually incontinent residents is difficult to handle.

Finally, appropriate and effective pads.

The most offensive place I ever went was to the assessment centre Jan attended. They took me into the secure wing - where she went the third time - and that reeked!
 

rummy

Registered User
Jul 15, 2005
700
0
Oklahoma,USA
I visited many homes and found some smelled horrible and some didn't. One I went in was changing linens, the linen baskets were open and in the hall ways, people in wheel chairs everywhere, obviously with soiled undies/or pads, laundry room open to the hallways, rooms messy and the dining hall with food all over the floors. These were modern and very expensive homes too.
The home I chose for Mom is virtually smell free. You will catch a whiff now and then but nothing horrible. Each residents room has its own ventilation unit which helps. They toilet them constantly...(like you would a two year old your trying to potty train) They are bathed every other day. When they change linens, they put them in a cart that has a bonnet so the smells don't drift out into the halls. Housekeeping is constant and the only smell is that of the food being prepared.
Like Bruce said, it is management and cleanliness.
Oh and Mom's home is older with carpeted hallways, linoleum in the rooms.
When I visited homes, if it smelled, I turned around and left. It is also a sign that there are bound to be rampant UTI's !
Norman, are you looking for a home for Peg?
Debbie
 

Bets

Registered User
Aug 11, 2005
100
0
South-East London, UK
When I was considering a care home for respite a couple of years ago, the council only offered a choice of two (as my husband was not self-funding). The smell hit you as soon as you went in the front door. This was one reason I turned them both down. Interestingly, at least two professionals in the field told me (not in so many words) that I was being too fussy and clearly wasn't familiar with care homes for older people. I agree with Brucie, it is all down to cleaning and management. Homes should not smell.

Bets
 

Grandaughter 1

Registered User
Jan 17, 2006
141
0
Hampshire
Hiya,

You're all making me nervous now!

Grandad goes into respite care on Saturday and as I am terrible with "smells" I hope it's going to be alright!!!!!!
 

dmc

Registered User
Mar 13, 2006
1,157
0
hi grandaughter1

i think after a while you get quite immune to it:eek:
the hospital mum is in is relativly clean apart from the odd accident but i do mums laundry and there is a definite smell of the place on her clothes, and even though i use nearly a bottle of conditioner its still there after a wash:confused:
 

Tender Face

Account Closed
Mar 14, 2006
5,379
0
NW England
Ok, not care homes.... but of all the hospital wards mum has been admitted to over the last few years, the one which has caused least concern in terms of 'smell' was the Urology ward...

Nuff said......

Karen, x
 

rummy

Registered User
Jul 15, 2005
700
0
Oklahoma,USA
I went to see Mom today and she had wet herself, the first time since going in the NH. The nurses aid took her, cleaned her up, changed her clothes and all was well and there stilll was no smell. I am not used to it, I have a very sensitive sense of smell ! ugh, doesn't take much at all to tip me over.
There really is no excuse for it. I'd be complaining and raising all kinds of hell if the place smelled like urine and poop.
Don't let them get away with it !
Debbie
 

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
138,123
Messages
1,993,170
Members
89,785
Latest member
MonkeyFeet