Any advice for a student with body odor? just some backround before I started 2 years ago the school and my district RN was well aware of this student and her other siblings on our other campus'. Students always have an ongoing issue with lice, come to school with tanks tops when its snowing out, and the biggest problem is the one child on my campus smells really really bad like cat urine. From what I am told DPS has stopped by before and say its a "lifestyle" pretty much it isn't abuse its just body odor etc.
this school year I've tried keeping clothes aside for her clean so she can just come and use my bathroom and change but the smell lingers in my office im sick to my stomach and shes only in here for a few short mins
I feel like im getting the run around from admin as far as what to do with this student, they like the idea of her changing her clothes but the teachers are telling me the students and them still notice the odor.
I put emphasis on the importance of cleanliness as a health issue as well as a social issue. I get donations of deodorant, shampoo, and body wash
I worked at a Boys Club.. now they are Boys and Girls Club. We met them as they were, did dental education through a media presentation, gave them floss and toothpaste. I inspected their mouths and saw obvious cavities. I sent a letter home but who knows if it was taken to heart. My alternate RN and I actually scheduled ourselves for the same shift. We took the scale to the teens den , showed videos (the Happy Days did a 5 minute film on the hazard of smoking).
We saw many of the students in our private office several days later. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Boys and Girls Club. They are a great resource
So bumping this thread up to circle back to no washer/dryer could be the issue.
So, I had a HS student that graduated a few years old. Lovely young man, lived below poverty level, mom struggled with addiction. Odor issue was big - but he did have access to most items to maintain hygiene most of the time EXCEPT a washer/dryer. And he did not have the money for the laundromat.
We came up with a plan. I got $40 in petty cash to give to this student every two week. I ordered some detergent pods and dryer sheets. I'd make the student a care package - discretely packaged, often in a school non-descript plastic bag he'd put into his backpack. He knew he checked in with me every two weeks. He went to the laundromat and did his laundry.
Since then, I advocated for a washer/dryer at school and got one. Game changer for me!
londonflo
3,002 Posts
I worked at a Boys Club.. now they are Boys and Girls Club. We met them as they were, did dental education through a media presentation, gave them floss and toothpaste. I inspected their mouths and saw obvious cavities. I sent a letter home but who knows if it was taken to heart. My alternate RN and I actually scheduled ourselves for the same shift. We took the scale to the teens den , showed videos (the Happy Days did a 5 minute film on the hazard of smoking).
We saw many of the students in our private office several days later. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Boys and Girls Club. They are a great resource