Hi mamas this isn’t mom related but I’m just trying to see what everyone else would do….so I recently started a new job about 2 Fridays ago as a caregiver. The client I have is such a sweet lady, but her house is infested with roaches. I’ve worked 4 shifts so far & every shift I see a combo of small roaches & HUGE roaches. I’m always going to do my best to care for the client, but it’s getting ridiculous. I’m thinking of reaching out to my bosses to see if there’s anything we can do for her?? Because she should not have to live like this. And I also don’t want to take roaches back to my home with my son. I guess my question is, should I reach out to my bosses? And if they say there’s nothing they can do, should I continue to work for them in these conditions?? Thanks in advance ://
You are or should be a mandated report for abuse and neglect, that includes a dirty or bug infested home. Please reach out to your supervisor/boss and let them know you cannot see her living in conditions like that and will not work in an unhealthy environment like that.
Yes, please reach out and do not feel bad about doing so. You are not only advocating for your working conditions, but you are also advocating for an individual who may not always have a voice that gets heard. This lady will be so grateful for your support. Thank you for taking the time to reach out and ask others…Congratulations on your new job.
Yes reach out as a caregiver that is a detail that should be known and some effort be done for her some how. If someone comes later and reports it and they find you knew you could be in trouble. If you bring it to light now no one can say you ignored it later. I’d call your neighborhood commission on aging they often help with these things or local health department even. Make an effort to make it better for her also because that is the human thing to do.
I’ve been a CNA for a long time. Personally if i were in this situation I would communicate with your management and if they can not help contact adult protection
You definitely need to report it. I am a caregiver and we had to deal with bedbugs. The client was required to get them exterminated before we could be in there,
I see no reason to try to take care of them. Boric acid powder gets rid of them. I also used Raid in my garage. Took care of them. I couldn’t work where there was roaches.
I also do home care work and do not, under any circumstances, service a home that has any infestation; bug or environmental (excessive mold etc)
It’s in the contract I give the client.
I know certain industries/companies won’t service an infested home, like some moving companies.
I would make your own decision here for the health and safety of you and your family.
Tell,you management as well as Elder care in your area. It is obvious this woman needs help.
You definitely have a real chance of bringing them to your house. They travel hiding in items from the house to the next. Most come from grocery’s
Yes , definitely reach out and ask if there’s something they can do , like getting her a housekeeper or maybe someone who can treat her house .
It there’s nothing that they can do maybe reach out to her family and as the last thing ask to be relocated
I do home care and in this situation, I would communicate with family (if they have any) and also to my supervisor. If family does nothing, this is elder abuse. Report it to the proper people and ask your supervisor how to do so if you’re unsure.
Your bosses aren’t going to do anything most likely. And there are things you can do to prevent transfer to your own home. I worked for a family for 5 years, almost 3 of them they had bed bugs and refused to hire an exterminator, so I basically acted as one🤦♀️ No matter how I told them I wasn’t capable of getting rid of them and offered them other solutions, the son just WOULD NOT allow anyone else into their home. So I did what I could to help when I went🤷♀️
I never got them at home! I would change my clothes and shoes before I got into my own car. I would strip again outside my door and go directly into my basement shower and bathe. Immediately launder clothes from the day. I would spray my car to ensure it wasn’t habitable for them, but bed bugs are a bit different than roaches so you may not need to go to the extents I did.
The company may just cancel her care unfortunately, I’ve seen it a few times. I would start by offering HER help, and see what happens. An exterminator contract can be fairly inexpensive. Especially if you can find someone who does it on the side, or a small business that sympathizes with her situation and wants to help.
We have roaches in the home we rent after being evicted in retaliation during covid😑 I hate it! But our options are limited, and I learned to NEVER complain about an unsafe home again in this life! Because no one’s going to be there to back you up, and if you don’t have lawyer money, you’re screwed.
We had our home sprayed once by a local company. The experience wasn’t great, but the owner was a good man and stood by his company and reputation so he made it right. That spray is guaranteed for 90 days, then he guided me through how to spray ourselves with products we purchased from them for a fraction of what it costs to hire them to do it. We bought an industrial sprayer from home depot, and we’ve been doing this for over 4 years now🤷♀️
I don’t even see any to be honest. Like ever. The only time we did have a problem is when we got a new neighbor downstairs. She was a pig unfortunately, but worse, she had issues with us so she refused to let ANYONE come into the downstairs unit and spray. So of course, they bred with a vengeance down there:woman_facepalming: When she was finally kicked out and we got new neighbors they had to rip up the floors and everything ! There were thousands of them, all over the joice’s 
Poor kids had no idea what they were getting into, and I felt bad for them, but we’re also living in the same conditions with no options yk.
Together we stayed on it and they’ve been here about 2 years now. I haven’t seen even a baby roach in about a year. I do believe if we let up on the spray you would though:melting_face:
But with roaches it’s the best you can do.
I abhor roaches and could not work in such an environment
It sounds like they have german cockroaches and American. They definitely need taken care of. German roaches infest and spread like bedbugs.
Absolutely bring awareness to it. She should not have to live like that.
Reach out to her landlord, if she owns the home then reach out to the executor or their estate. If there isn’t one then coordinate an exterminator service for the person. Speak to them and see what they can afford and arrange it for them.
Depends alot of where person lives if in a apartment complex report it to them and the agency if its her own home she might have to pay for exterminator to come in but it sounds like she has a lot so it will take multiple treatments (weekly) for at least a month then once a month should do it also if own home outside area has to be treated also
Always advocate for what’s best for your clients. Reach out to your bosses, and see what resources may be available for her.
Contact adult services. They will send a worker to check on the issue and maybe will have free resources. Other than that, help her find pest control services. The home will need to be cleaned out in order to treat a roach infestation so that’s why I say maybe adult services have resources for that.
Go to your bosses also most likely the person you are caring for has Medicaid/ Medicare you can reach out to social services or if she has family reach out to them if your bosses do nothing
Talk to your bosses if they are unable to help please continue to work for her but be an advocate for her. Reach out to local pest control agencies and explain the situation, you may be surprised how many would be willing to help. Also, talk to the family members and see if they are also willing to help!
Yes tell your boss about it and if they don’t help just consider buying some roach bait anything that will kill roaches and their eggs will work.
Get rid of all food and piles of junk trash… They want water. Make sure everything everything is dry and under sinks and around water sources or leaks… then treat the bugs. Just from my own experience with different situations many encounters…
I’ve worked in thd care sector for a lover 15yrs… Care isn’t just about personal care etc, it’s about looking after every aspect of the persons, life including their environment therefore you actually have a “duty of care” to report this to your seniors.
Sorry, bedbugs and roaches are a deal breaker for me. A home care service I worked for would give the client 3 weeks to rectify the situation, and then discontinue services if the problem persisted. NO JOB is worth carrying that stuff home with you and infesting your own place.
Contact higher ups like said but until something happens this will help. Put in crevices and cracks unseen: under cabinets, behind toilets, stove fridge, dressers… it’s a big help. I’ve used it in the past for exact situations!
If she is a renter it’s the landlords responsibility. If a homeowner, who hired you, she, or someone else. Talk to your boss.
They need to be told! Clients need to make sure it’s taken care of before anyone can work there.
Report it to your boss.
One time I had a client have bedbugs I called my boss and sent a picture and was told to leave and they gave me new clients.
of course, you should tell your boss, & they in turn should reach out to whomever hired them to care for this woman,
Bring a bunch of roach traps ??? Is there anybody ( family ?) You can call ???
We recently used this company at our house. We had a roach problem…They only charged us $150. We are very pleased with the thorough job they did in and out. The small roaches are the worse. German roaches. They multiply fast. This is a family business
Can you suggest to her that she gets an exterminator?
They are common here in Australia and are not a reason to decline care!
You have a duty of care - so yes everything like that should be reported otherwise your in the wrong job.
This stuff works!! I had neighbors move in and brought the roaches with them. This was a live save and didn’t kill my wallet.
Advion Cockroach Gel Bait, 4 Tubes x 30-Grams, 4 Plunger and 4 Tips, German Roach Insect Pest Control, Indoor and Outdoor Use, Roach Killer Gel for American, German and Other Major Cockroach Species https://a.co/d/ea9BmKT
Aren’t you a mandated reporter?
This is neglect and someone need to be accountable
Contact adult protective services
Reach out to anyone you can
Roach bait in the big syringe is the best thing u can get. It inexpensive and works great. Poisoning sprays don’t really work and aren’t cost effective
If someone needs a caregiver, obviously, they can’t care for the house….Right?!!
So, if it’s a rented property, the landlord needs to deal with it.
If it’s private housing there has to be a Power of Attorney you can report this to and the NEED to take care if it.
If the person is physically incapable but still of sound mind and control their own finances….you and your company can help arrange for the services to rid them of this issue.
All else fails, get APS involved. But PLEASE……!!! Don’t NOT just drop the client. It’s not right.
As a caregiver myself . There as been things like that come up in our jobs . You can ask your boss to move you somewhere else. But I would reach out to The area for the aging where you live . They try to help with grants
Past control needs to cut me in 2223 treatments to get rid of all. They will tell you to bag everything. Have experience with this for someone that I was caregiving for also. So call friend spread that man at her house.
Depends where you are in the uk you have q duty of care and must report this to your manager and if the lady is classed a vulnerable or on benefits the council will be able to help ypur manager should no how to sort it
Yes definately discuss with her
Have her use this !! It is the imly thing I found works and if u keep placing it they stay away it posions the nest it’s what exterminators use !!