Need serious advice- dealing with smell

[JZ_RN]

How do I deal with patients who absolutely stink in a professional manner? As in, complete stench of feces, urine, draining wounds full of mrsa infection, just pure filth. I have several patients with poor hygiene who have been the subject of complaints to APS, but I still need to provide care to them when they come in. The smell makes me literally feel like I might vomit, and I can't close doors in rooms with them. I don't want to touch them because I'm afraid of what's on their clothes and personal items, and the smell lingers for hours after they are gone. Any serious advice on how to deal with this situation? Have tried to get them into a situation with a caregiver or aide but they don't see that there's a problem. While I wait and hope that APS places them in some kind of protective custody (they are not competent in my opinion, but what do I know? I can't imagine thinking it was normal to smell like this!) Thanks in advance for any help.

[Inori, BSN, RN]

Vics Vaporub under your nose, open some windows, crank up the AC. Then see if can set em up with social work there are resources out there to help em get out of the homeless situation.

[JZ_RN]

Well the one patient was set up with SW but won't go to a care facility... which they need, because no one in the home can care for the patient and the patient can't take care of themself.. Unless the patient is declared incompetent we can't force them. In and out of the hospital at least the patient gets a little bit of hygiene care there. No insurance makes it difficult to get HH and they always d/c the patient soon after the case is started, and the patient is also very rude and unpleasant to HH. No insurance also makes it difficult to find placement if the patient were to agree to HH. Also patient's family members will not let the patient be "taken away" and feel they take good care of the patient (open dripping mrsa wounds and urine all over the patient means good care? Ugh.) I have to spray the whole office when the patient leaves and the other patients complain of feeling ill and the stench when patient comes in...

Homeless patient has been set up with a program after I hooked them up with the social worker through what else but the VA (pt. is a vet) and now has a housing situation that isn't the streets and where showering is possible, yay!