A Hospice Center Relocates Cancer Victims After Discovering A Bed Bug Infestation

It is hard to believe that for more than fifty years Americans and most other people around the world were unfamiliar with bed bugs. Three generations were born into a world where bed bugs had become well controlled and largely eradicated. Millenials, on the other hand, cannot imagine a world without bed bugs. Although older generations may not have become familiar with bed bugs in their early years, there is no doubt that they have become aware of them now. For example, there have been stories in the media lately about bed bugs infesting retirement communities, and certain medical clinics where a large proportion of patients are elderly.

It is likely that the elderly residents of Good Samaritan Retirement Home in Ocala, Florida were shocked to learn of a bed bug infestation within their living facilities. This particular retirement home has developed a bad reputation due to a few different factors. One of the most significant factors involves bed bugs. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration has monitored the facility since 2007. Since then the facility has been slapped with over seventy five thousand dollars in fines, which is partly due to at least one bed bug infestation. One government report claims that at least two rooms in the retirement home had become infested with bed bugs, which resulted in a fine issued by the state of Florida. In addition to bed bug infestations, careless treatment of elderly residents finally resulted in the closing of the retirement home.

Perhaps even more startling than the bed bug issues at the retirement home is the recent infestation at a Hospice center in Pella, Iowa. Hospice is the well known humanitarian organization that aims to care for people suffering from cancer. Patients at Hospice of Pella have been relocated due to a bed bug infestation. The patients have been relocated to the facility’s first floor. Obviously, the first floor sees a lot of traffic and patients have been forced to deal with living in the overpopulated and cramped main floor. According to Hospice staff, the Comfort House sees a lot of visitors come and go on a daily basis, and a visitor could easily have transported the bed bugs to this particular area. A couple of weeks ago a VA hospital in New Hampshire was forced to close temporarily in order to eradicate a bed bug infestation. The Comfort House is currently being treated for the infestation.

Do you believe that a bed bug-screening technology could be developed in order to prevent vulnerable buildings from becoming infested with bed bugs?