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My father is infested and does not seem to care....he came for Easter dinner and had bugs on his clothes....He didn't care a bit that he was bringing them to someone else's home. He is covered in bites. I'm taking him to the doctor today.

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I am a social worker and the only help I have found for people on fixed incomes is contacting Adult Protective Services. They will spray and even put the person in a motel while it is being done.
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My mother's house is badly infested with bed bugs. There is no more furniture beds. She is 83 years old and on a fixed income she cannot afford a exterminator. Is there a program for seniors that have grants for this kind of situation?
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I do and am not sure what to do either , what was the outcome of this situation?
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This generation is growing at a faster rate than the total population in almost all regions of the world. In senior settings bed bugs often go unnoticed for longer periods of time because of several reasons:
• Failing eye sight
• Dementia/mental decline
• Depression
• Physical handicaps
Bed bugs can build up to infestation numbers when quarterly inspections are not done leading to the senior being used as constant blood meals by the bed bugs.
Anemia is a common condition. It occurs in all age, racial, and ethnic groups. Both men and women can have anemia. However, in senior settings bed bugs can cause more than anemia and can lead to more physical problems including strokes and heart problems.
Elderly communities need to have their dwellings checked often for bed bugs for more than just keeping up against infestations.
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Visit OnContactSolutions. They have an EPA 25 B Exempt Non-Toxic Solution that has a year long residual. Will effectively remove the problem and PREVENT it from coming back. These pests are spread very easily from neighbors and guests. This is the only way to ensure the problem will go away and stay away.
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a vaccum cleaner doesnt work well on bed bugs. they hide in crevices where the vaccum wont reach. take a simple playing card. any crack in wall trim, baseboard, bed frames that the playing card will slide into needs caulked. i cant stress enough, the heat treatment is the most costly tx and doesnt work. dust kills the adults, wintergreen alcohol kills hatchlings and adults on contact. dont throw your bed out, buy good covers from pestmall. you dont want wal marts crap that will rip in 3 months. i wish i had a dollar from every person who told me id never eliminate them on my own.
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thank the Lord we don't have any pets. We have waiting on his pension check the first before we can purchase any more bed bug products. We threw his farely new bed out because it had become infested with these bugs. Wouldn't u know it. Because like most elderly people, he is too frugal to invest in a vaccuum. I am so tired of watching him scratch in his recliner. Its heartbreaking. I am encouraged to have other caregiver to tell my troubles to. Thanks for your suggestions and concern. you will never know how much this means to me.
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If he has no pets,there are inexpensive things to do to prevent them from spreading.Frequent vacuuming,encasing mattresses in vinyl zippered covers and sprinkling diacemetous earth(bed bug powder)all around the perimeter of the apartment and under the bed,should help somewhat.
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I have been encouraged by all of the advice in regards to the bed bug epidemic. The elderly man I take care of is starting to become senile. we both have been up all night trying to find a comfortable place to sleep. I have been up for weeks trying to listen out for him siitng in his recliner in the front room. I am a heavy set woman and my legs are worn out. He is 88 years old and need total assistance. We are trying to come up with resources to afford the heat option to get this situation under control. It will put him behind with his bills but the alternative wi'll be devastating.He is just a few months out of bankruptcy. I can't imagine having to throw anything else away. We are barely surviving now. I am trying to hang on but I have some family support. 6 years is a long time to take care of someone with little money to spare. thanks for listening.
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Any idea of where they came from in the first place? Seems to me it'd be a huge pain to get rid of them at his house only to have them re-infest the place. If it seems like he might need to move to AL in the next few years this might the perfect excuse to try one out (though they wouldn't let him bring any of his stuff, of course!).
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Bedbugs are the LAST thing I'd want an infestation of...but you know...and this is a fact...unless you are allergic to them (and we had a friend who was...and his face really swelled up like Martin Short in that movie!) the only real threat they pose is one of irritation from the bites and possible allergic reaction developing. They do not spread disease and are not venomous or poisonous and in fact take away blood instead of leave poison or pathogens.

Still...I would NOT want to have them and it would be terrible to have them on my elderly parent...coming to visit and the bedbugs visit, too...and some will invariably move in. You must research the signs and indications of bedbugs and then meticulously assess your home environment and act from there.

Cap's right, there is a lot of misinformation. I don't know anything about getting rid of them from an exterminator's perspective, but I studied up on the signs and how to prevent them from coming home to my house...the signs to look for in motels and your suitcases, and etc.

Just don't be afraid of them for the wrong reason...don't be afraid of them at all. They are actually pretty benign, relatively speaking, in relation to the insect world.

Yet, still...I'd freak to have them here.

I would think if you were really diligent in checking your home environment out frequently for signs, and taking care of any areas right away or even throwing stuff out if feasible if signs are found on furniture, etc., you could keep your home free of bedbugs without chemicals. But it might be near to impossible to totally rid your dad's place of ALL bedbugs.

You just have to choose your battles.
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lot of misinformation on this thread. whole house heat treatment isnt panning out. it drives the bugs right thru the walls and into the yard. matress cover and diotomecious earth inside the covers, under the beds, between matresses, around baseboards, etc will kill them but it takes a couple of months. its a waiting game. the bugs only live within 8 feet of the human host so theyre not that hard to locate and kill. bedlam spray helps keep furniture free of bugs. matress covers, dust and bedlam can all be bought from pestmall online at a fraction of normal retail cost. couches and overstuffed chairs may have to be burned as they are too hard to monitor and treat. if anyone wants more specific instructions google up cdc / bedbugs or write to me. an exterminator does not have to be your first option but even if you resort to that the treatment is not several thousand dollars as youd expect. think 1200 dollars instead..
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He has family but they don't come around or call often. its seems like its just me and him against the world. he gets a pension and social security so it has been hard to get assistance for him. he also has a lot of pride. I am at my wits end but it does feel good to know someone cares.Thank u. taking a second to kill a bed bug. yuck!!!!
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Pattie, does he own the home or rent it? If he rents, maybe the landlord will help with a treatment (the best treatment is when they come in and heat the house up to a very high temp to kill bugs and eggs). If he owns, the best thing is to call a bug service, but that can be expensive. If he has any family at all, maybe this is the time to call them to help him with cleaning up the bugs and buying him a new recliner. If there is no help from family, call the Council on Aging in your town.
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I live with an elderly man who has an infestation of bed bugs. He lives in his recliner chair and I am so scared for him. I have been with him for 6 years and this is about to drive me insane. I don't know how long we can live with this but I don't want to leave him now. Anyone know of any resources that can help us. I am afraid for his health and my own!!!!
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Bed bugs do not effect only the elderly but a lot of households in urban areas.We went through this nightmare for two years in a row.It requires a lot of work.Packing up everything and living out of bags for months.Clothes have to be washed and packed up.Your Dad's Landlord should be legally responsible for paying for the extermination.Our Landlord paid for three years in a row.
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Strange I see this today. Just yesterday a neighbor told me they had to get an entire new household including all furniture, pictures, etc. They got the bugs from some new furniture they got. It had been in a truck with some used furniture. Not sure if they tried to get rid of them before replacing everything. Will ask though and let you know. They settled out of court and so they were able to replace everything. Good Luck!!!!!
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The only true way to get rid of bed bugs is with a whole house heat treatment. It is costly but VERY effective. Call any exterminator and they will help you with this. Unfortunately if your father-in-law does not care - chances are they will be back eventually.
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They sell portable steamers that you can use to steam the bedding. Also, bugs hate Lavender essential oil so buy a good brand, at least 2 ounces, sprinkle a few drops in hand and rub it all over your parents body and in their hair. I got my portable steamer off the internet for around $100. I buy my Lavender essential oil from Eden Botanicals or Ananda Apothecary. Get the therapeutic grade.
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You may also consider putting a plastic zip mattress cover on his bed and pillows to keep them from coming out and it suppose to suffocicate the bugs. Wash everything in hot water with detergent including stuff animals or just chuck them out. U will defiantly need an extermantor and you can ask them what you need to do to keep them nasty bugs away. Good luck.
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Pill not will
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I saw on the show "infested" that people have to treat and retreat to get rid of these bed bugs and then if the spraying and cleaning doesn't work there is a procedure that heats up the house and kills all the bugs...maybe just go with the heating treatment to begin with since it is so bad...it will cost about $1,500 but if you consider all the cleaning and poison that has to be done the traditional way, it may be worth it. Maybe one day they will come up with a will for humans to take, much like our pets' flea meds, that will keep the bugs off of us! You are in for a big battle...maybe having to throw out furniture and beds etc.
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My husband used to work for Terminix. Bedbugs are extremely hard to get rid of!! His home will probably need several treatments. And yes-the last post was correct-your house will have them too so beware!!! If he sat on your furniture, they are probably there! That is how they travel, through someone's clothes. Call an EXTERMINATOR NOW!!! Make sure you get one that guarantees to treat until they are GONE!!! A one time treatment will not work-it will end up costing you more. I also suggest that you get one that uses a dog to track the bedbugs. The dog can check your house out too.
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I agree with dgrey63, they are extremely hard to get rid of, so you need to call someone NOW! If he comes into your home with them, you will also have them. I don't know your father's mental condition, but many elderly do get that way. My mom was always concerned about her appearance, but near the end of her life, she just didn't care anymore. I think she felt so bad, she didn't want to deal with it anymore. Good luck.
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The entire proceedure to rid bedbugs is a lot of work. You will have to call an exteriminator. Everything has to be washed in hot h20. Mattress has to have a special cover, picture frames have to taken a part and washed, all his clothing will need to be washed as well.
My father-in-law is really nasty, but no bed bugs. When my husband and I moved in with him, his home was infested with cock roaches. I mean they were literally crawling on the walls. I even found a decompossing mouse under his fridge. I do not know why some seniors become so unsanitary. Maybe some type of mental decline.
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