Roaches are going to drive me out of home care!!!

[hoolahan]

I feel like I should be called the Orkin Nurse, and instead of a backback, I should carry an orificenal of roach-killing chemicals.

I need a roach repellant perfume or something.

Yesterday MONSTER roach appeared too close to my coat, and I swear I could barely focus on my new admit, and I admit, I skimmed that OASIs faster than fast to get the heck outta there!

Today, very clean house, in the midst of several abandoned ones boarded up in a drug-infested neighborhood, and I know that is always a bad thing, a draw for roaches and rodents, and it isn't the fault or lack of cleanliness of the people I serve but ...

People I have a serious issue, fear-factor, r/t roaches. I am not sure I could even get away w asking not to be sent there, it wouyld only mean some other poor nurse gets stuck w that many more roach motels.

Let me put it this way, if I were on that show fear factor and I could be given a million dollars to enter a room swarming w roaches, I would probably hurl at the thought.

Today, sitting in this clean rose among the thorns, and here comes da beast, crawling up the couch I was just sitting on, once again too close to my personal stuff. At least in the summer, I don't have a coat or so many pockets and stuff w me for the creepy critters to hide in.

I can't function like this, I get tunnel vision, and I do struggle to keep cool and remain non-judgemental, esp w the older folks.

Help me!! Should I seek deconditioning? I think this is NORMAL to not like roaches. Yesterday's man carried his med zippered bag in and tried to hand it to me w a monster roach on it!! I asked him to set it on the table and take out the bottles one by one so we could review it, I wasn't touching that freakin bag!!

I have been going into the dregs of the city w/o a roach-free home lately, and I can't take it much longer. I am not only afraid of these things touching me, or getting into my clothes, but of bringing them into my home by accident. My winter coat is still in my car b/c I was afraid to bring it inside. I am seriously stressing here!!!

What would you do? I have no problem w dogs, snakes, or other creatures, just bugs tarantula spiders, roaches, NASTY stuff.

[riern]

I just had to laugh....I think we must work the same neighborhoods. My rule of thumb is I don't take in my bag, and I don't wear any of my "regular people" clothing to work ever. I get the cheapest coat for winter I can find so if I have to throw it away I can. I buy the anywear nursing shoes so I can use the disinfecting wipes on them before coming in my house.

It's amazing how some people live and think nothing of it. I recently had a pt with a PICC line and IV antibiotics for UTI with roaches crawling all over him and his bed. This pt has had a stroke and has a GTube as well. I got APS involved and they're gonna help spray for the critters but I'm sure that will only last for a short while.

I've told this family time and time again that roaches carry disease and they look at me like I have 3 heads. Long story short, this man still has UTI after 2 10 day cycles of IV and PO antibiotics and the girls at DSS don't know what I'm fussing so about because they've seen lots worse cases.

Some days I feel like I'm beating my head against a massive brick wall but I do enjoy my job and come home feeling very thankful for the way I was raised and my nice comfortable bug free home.

Hang in there!

Marie

[hoolahan, ASN, RN]

I don't even watch Fear factor!! If they ever wanted to lower me into a vat of roaches, I would die of sheer fright.

LilGirl, your description of hell is perfect!!

[mattsmom81]

I don't even watch Fear factor!! If they ever wanted to lower me into a vat of roaches, I would die of sheer fright.

Me too.....I regret being by the TV when the 'roach vat' commercial ran... I ran screaming from the room, and felt crawly the rest of the day! I will NEVER watch that show!! :chuckle .

Hate roaches...also spiders (specially the furry jumping ones here in Texas)

:uhoh21: I'm shuddering and checking my surroundings as I post, as its spider season here...and they always manage to get in the house. :uhoh21:

My new home, luckily, is roach free (touch wood) :)

[stevierae]

Man, I just sat and read this thread in its entirety---indeed, my hat is off to all of you, as well. I had absolutely no idea that rat feces were the number one cause of asthma in inner city kids. None.

I lived in Hawaii, too--yeah, those big 5 inch roaches; you even see them in luxury, spotless penthouses--they are just everywhere--sometimes the geckoes can get to them and eat them, but other times I suspect the roaches eat the geckoes!

I have read that in New York City, in those old buildings, no matter how anal one is about cleaning, the roaches come in the walls through ancient pipes. So you may live in a luxury loft and still have roaches! I was reading about how this family had to even put their toothbrushes in toothbrush holders (like the ones you use for travel) and their toothpaste in zip-lock plastic bags--if they forgot, like if they went to bed and neglected to do this, in the morning they would wake up and toothbrush, toothpaste and entire bathroom would be hosting a roach party.

Dang! And hear I clean first before I ever have a cleaning lady come! I could see where the sick and elderly, and sight impaired, can't clean, but I can't even imagine the young folks with babies living in filth with fast food wrappers all over the place. Aren't they even embarrassed? I guess they must have grown up in conditions lik ethis and assume everyone does...so very sad.

You guys literally deserve combat pay. I did home infusion for a while, but never saw anything like that.. in fact, even our poor chemo patients who lived alone would do their best to keep their houses clean. I, too, quit because of the endless paperwork.

[Poi Dog]

Bump.....because this is an interesting thread.

[CFitzRN, ADN]

Indeed it is! It's making my skin crawl, but it's interesting!

A quick note - I did a sup visit on a home today that smelled so horrifically of feline urine that my eyes were watering and my nasal membranes burning due to the ammonia/urea. Every time I had to take a breath (a shallow one, at that) I fought not to gag. Thankfully not every home in hhc is like this one, or I don't think I'd be able to hack it.

The amazing thing is, our CNA who staffs that case is totally fine with all of it, and does a great job! Like my staffer said today, "There is someone for every job."

[Witiku]

I saw a roach in NYC on the sidewalk stop and LOOK BOTH WAYS for traffic before crossing.

I chased it and KILLED IT so it couldnt pass on any GENETIC KNOWLEDGE.

Boy I do hate them.

[Witiku]

I just had a patient sent home to a small home on a farm. Flies by the Millions, Tree Roaches under foot, both solid gloss black and the usual brown, 2". Filth 'German' roaches on the walls, pt's bed and ceiling, little fat mini ones scurrying all over the floor. They were coming down the wall to the tray of cat food, No fear of people.

As Carl in Starship Troopers said: "It's simple numbers. They have more."

The reason given for not dealing with the infestation(s) was the 75 or so cats might be harmed. :banghead:There were Dozens of roaches in view at any one time.

Just Wow.

[CFitzRN, ADN]

I am constantly amazed at how people are willing to live. I'm not perfect and no Suzy Homemaker, but I can't stand stink, animal excrement, bugs or any of that stuff. Clutter - well, yeah, SOME, so long as everything under and around it is clean.

[sweetsugar]

I once handed a patient his inhaler as he was becoming short of breath. When I turned it around and looked inside of the thing, it was packed with cockroaches. Talk about gross!!! Then, I thought about "what could have happened" and--in my mind--I saw a cockroach smiling on a chest x-ray film:eek: