Soiled Pyjamas.

[Tilly2]

My dad has been in hospital for two weeks and for the first week and a half was wearing hospital gowns and pyjamas. Twice, this week, he was wearing his own pyjamas.
When I went today, he was back to wearing just a gown. As i left it occured to me that his own pyjamas might need washing so I went to his bedside cupboard and found them, via the smell, stuffed inside a plastic bag.

I brought them home, donned some rubber gloves and put them in the washing machine along with loads of disinfectant and biological powder.

Is it common practice to leave soiled nightwear in bedside cabinets? Should I complain? It can't be right, surely.

Any experience of this anyone?

[Maydup]

You should complain indeed, unless of course he put them there out of embarrassment and no ones noticed the smell before you.

On second thoughts, probably best to leave it rather than draw attention to it for his sake.

[ladyalex]

I rather think it is common practice.
I would have expected one of the nurses or assistants to let you know about them, though.

[gness]

Yes I have, Tilly ...with MrG and with my mother. My mother's weren't even inside a plastic bag and yes I did complain....was told it wasn't normal practice...it was.

[pixie373]

No, i wouldn't imagine so. It can't be pleasant for him, although i doubt the hospital will launder everybody's clothes either. Could he have put the bag in there himself?

[Tilly2]

My dad didn't put them in the cupboard. He can't get out of bed. No one said anything to me about them.

[nungate]

I'm afraid it seems to be the case Tilly. When my mum was last in hospital, her things were left in poly bags in her locker for me to take away and launder and take back again.
Have you tried that new Dettol laundry liquid yet? It'd be good for this sort of thing, you put it in the fabric softener part of the drawer and it goes into the last rinse.

[tamborine]

Ive always had to launder OHs hospital wear.

[gness]

While I expected to do the washing I expected to be made aware that there was soiled clothing in the locker......there must be a better system than waiting for the smell to alert the relative if there is one....especially as I know lockers are not cleaned between patients.

[Tilly2]

So the bedside cupboard is probably contaminated and the next patient comes along and puts their clothes in there.........?

I don't suppose the cupboards are cleaned out after each patient, do you?

It's unbelievable!

[boxtops]

It's normal Tilly, OH's mother had her nighties stuffed in a plastic bag ready for him to collect for laundering when he visited.

[gness]

One day, Tilly I will show you the photos of the filthy locker that greeted MrG when he was admitted to an...Infection Control Cleaned....room...

[Tilly2]

Thanks for the tip about dettol laundry liquid, nungate. I'll get some og that.

I am now running my washing machine with just bleach in it.

Well, now I know about this, I shall make sure that I check every day. So if they're hospital gowns and nightwear, the hospital launders them?

[tamborine]

You need to supply plastic bags if you want them wrapped.

[Psybbo]

We're learning Tilly and yes I took my mother's nighties home to wash

[ladyalex]

Yes, the hospital launders their gowns etc, you launder yours.

[Prudie]

Yes I found one of my mother's nighties not even in a bag in a drawer when she'd been unconscious hospital, must have been in there for at least 5 days and smelled awful, no-one had told me. My mother would have been mortified, it still haunts me (she died).

[Tilly2]

It might be better to send them in without any nightwear then.

[boxtops]

Patients feel nicer in their own clothing though... and the hospital gowns are not modest in the least.

[Tilly2]

Gness, I'm sure you put those photos to good use did you?

[tamborine]

Worse, hospital gave me mums bloody nighties after she died haemoragging. I burned them!