Bedbugs found at Indiana Veterans’ Home
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – The Indiana Veterans’ Home Superintendent admits to finding bedbugs after WLFI received multiple reports from people complaining of an infestation in a family member’s room.
Indiana Veterans’ Home Superintendent, Linda Sharp said only one room in Macarthur Hall was affected, and the bugs came in on a donated recliner.
She said after this incident, they are going to be more selective about items they bring in.
“It was immediately removed from his room once we found that it did (contain bedbugs,)” said Sharp.
Sharp said soon after the chair was given to a resident, some staff members noticed bugs.
“Sometimes it happens, I mean we get donations in and people aren’t aware that they’re bringing in something that either is contaminated or dirty,” said Sharp.
It’s likely the family who donated it didn’t know about the bugs.
And Sharp says the resident didn’t complain of bites. But they did move him out of the room to have it treated.
She says the incident warrants change.
“That’s something that we need to be better stewards about as well, you know as far as checking things out and obviously there was nothing visible when they took the chair to his room or we would have never taken it to his room,” said Sharp.
And they’re going to be more selective about what they allow in.
“We’re gonna not take cloth recliners anymore, we’re going to do the pleather or the leather recliners from this point on just because there is no way for them to migrate in the material,” Sharp said.
People who reached out to WLFI say staff was warned to not say anything about the bedbugs.
When asked about this, Sharp said, “I don’t know why anyone would tell them not to say anything.”