People are unclean nowadays!!!!!!!!!

[hellinahandcart700]

I have started a new job where I have to see and help people into work. I have been amazed by the amount of filthy, dirty people out there! These people are not disabled in any way and I get to know a lot about them and their circumstances. They smell of sweat, their hands and clothes are dirty (very dirty fingernails is common) and women's soles of the feet are literally brown! They are very unkempt and just don't seem to have any desire to be clean and fresh. Greasy hair is also common. Now I might get slated by some people but honestly, what has happened to people? I was taught to bathe twice a week making sure to wash everywhere, all the creases etc. Other days you have a good wash at the sink 2 or 3 times a day, washing under arms, face, genitals and feet! Do i say anything to them or could I be sued? How do you help people into work like this?

Don't be ridiculous. I do not smell, you don't need to go in the bath or shower to be clean! That is a complete fallacy.

Sure, many people can!

But many can't.

Again, your comment just another proof of your attitude to your clients in general. You are not looking to help them really, are you?
As an occupational therapist, I can tell you that drinking can be not only addiction and maladaptive pattern of coping with life circumstances but it can also be considered one's "occupation" (i.e. a meaningful activity in its own right). The reasons for drinking can be such as maintaining social contact with others, an activity to occupy the free time in the absence of other resources to fulfil these needs (how much would a cinema ticket, a dinner with friends or an interest club cost in comparison). Judgmental attitudes will do absolutely nothing to address this and one needs to have ways to fulfil the same needs differently.
It is absolutely maddening that people who are meant to support clients into work have no understanding of the their actual needs, barriers and what is necessary to overcome their circumstances. You just see drinking, unemployment and poor habits as a choice. It often isn't.

Personally I have noticed this too and I don't work with vulnerable people. I think that during lockdowns people got more lax with their personal hygiene and they still aren't back to pre-lockdown levels of cleanliness. If they do hybrid working perhaps they only shower on the days they are in the office but if you aren't bathing daily bacteria and dead skin builds up and you just smell more even after a shower or people use no or ineffective protection against body odour.

I was in a neighbours house recently to hand in a delivery that I had taken in for them and it stank of BO,

I don't work in the jobcentre. It is a separate organisation. Many of them spend a fair amount of money on alcohol etc and complain they don't have enough to feed themselves or keep clean. You cut your cloth accordingly. Stop making excuses for the feckless.

Many of them spend the money they get on drink and drugs and other non essentials. They could be much better off if they stopped this. Stop making excuses for irresponsible people.

I just find it so odd that a not very clean person has started a whole lecturing thread on being clean. Women in Asian slums manage to bathe daily without having running water, but apparently going into the shower daily when you are lucky enough to have one in the UK is too much trouble. Washing in the sink is just gross, in my opinion. Which I usually keep to myself, but....

Honestly, they are not vulnerable or struggling. They manage to go out drinking every weekend!

Why on earth do you view drinking as proof that people have good mental health? If anything, bad mental health can cause more drinking...

@hellinahandcart700

I didn't say that did I?

In my
Original
Post I did say obviously not everyone and in my last post I said I see around 40 people a week and around 25 of them if you read again.

God your very black and white in your thought processes.

I think you were maybe hired for exactly that reason by the government to put people back into their shell

I do my best to support them into jobs but then the employers call us demanding to know why we wasted their time with people who make no effort with themselves, stink or are not interested!

I really hope you don’t work with vulnerable people and this is a wind up.

Incase it is real- you have no idea what is going on in these individuals lives. They may not have a physical disability, but they may have mental health issues that prevent them from looking after their selves as is deemed acceptable.

As a PP has talked about her bipolar I’ll talk about line- which is quite similar!

Today I look good! I showered, washed my hair, straightened it, done my make up, dressed smart and went to my job.

Tomorrow I may not to any of those things no even brush my teeth if my bipolar takes a dive. I’ve gone a few weeks without any self care, also not changing pj’s.

Thankfully I have a supportive family and work colleagues. Dp will eventually be able to get me into the shower. That’s normally the start of my mood improving.

But as I said today is good. Actually the last several months have been good. But knowing there could be bad days is always at the back of my mind.

In the meantime I will continue to enjoy this time, work hard, sleep well, and minimise my stress. I forgot to mention stress and lack of sleep are my triggers!

I can only imagine, if I wasn’t educated and had a good job which pays full sick pay, that being unwell and having no money would add to that stress and cause my depression to hit me more.

I’m lucky! There’s poor buggers out there that aren’t.

Have some compassion please. Don’t judge someone unless you’ve walked in their shoes. And think about a different job role.

It's worrying someone in your position doesn't understand the word addiction

And drinking to excess is a well known cause of awful mental health- catch 22.

I do all I can to help people but then employers get angry at me for sending people who are dirty! I can't win.

Can you spell

A-d-d-i-c-t-i-o-n?

I'm with others on the motives of the OP tbh.

I actually don't think poverty is necessarily an excuse for being dirty. Where I grew up many people live in absolute poverty per the global definition. It's common to live in a single room with no electricity or running water. Water would be fetched from a tap, well or pump early in the morning and people then wash using a basin, flannel and soap. Clothes are scrubbed in rivers.

The only thing you'll smell is maybe fresh sweat as not everyone can afford antiperspirant. Only people considered "mad" would have a smell.

Stop being so feckless and get a better job then!

You are definitely in the wrong job ! Yes you get people who prioritise drink over food their life is usually so shitty that this is what they do. How privileged are you that you feel you can judge

Only having a proper shower or bath a couple times per week and just a wash at the sink in between is rank to me, but then I've always got a full shower and hair wash daily since as little as I can remember.

See? It's all relative. I'd look at your routine and think it's pretty grim.

If your job involves helping people into work I think you'd be doing them a disservice not saying something. It's not a kindness to step back and avoid an awkward conversation, if it might impact someone achieving the very thing you're employed to support them with. You can make it more generic to start with. 'One thing I always discuss with every client is personal hygiene. How do you feel yours is?' and take it from there.

I would honestly want to be told if I stank.

Can I ask why you only shower twice a week? That’s lower than the norm I think.

I’m mainly wondering why you wash your feet and genitals in the sink?

It will be harder for people with such personal hygiene to secure a job.

Maybe JobCentres etc should be able to refer people to leisure centres with showers on the day they have an interview.

Maybe they've come straight from work. I sweat like mad at work and often stink nipping into a shop on my way home.

They do however find the money to drink every weekend then complain they have no money for food!

Do you also do 24hr surveillance then on all these ‘dirty’ people?

Thanks for the mental image of a seething right winger flannelling her fanny by a sink three times a day. 🤢