Fellow Patient in Hospital Being a Twat

[MamaNewtNewt]

My sister is currently in hospital and the patient in the bed next to her keeps spraying a really strong smelling body spray. It's so strong, and she's spraying so frequently, that people can smell it in the corridor.

It's at the point where my sister is finding it hard to breath so my Mum asked the nurse if she could discreetly ask the patient not to spray so often. Instead the nurse came in and mentioned it really loudly, making it clear that it was my sister who wasn't happy.

Since then the other patient has been spraying the body spray even more, and tonight it's so bad that it made my sister vomit. At which the point the other patient laughed and sprayed the body spray again! We've spoken with the nurse again and she's said there's nothing they can do as they can't stop people spraying and there's no option to move either of them.

Im just looking for some advice on what we can do. My sister is ill enough without having to deal with this. Surely this comes under anti-social behaviour and the hospital will have guidelines on this as this woman is now actively enjoying making my sister feel ill.

I would be playing loud music right on her side.
Something passive aggressive too but not sure what track right now what...

I’ve been in before when a patient had bad asthma and we were all asked not to use aerosols on the ward

I have a fragrance allergy. Someone spraying a body spray in a hospital or any space i can’t flee, could kill me.

staff saying they can’t stop someone spraying isn’t even funny, it is negligence. I don’t believe for a second that staff can’t stop them. I have encountered a few medical personnel who don’t understand the dangers of allowing fragrance in medical facilities, but most understand it has no place.

your sister, or her advocate, needs to escalate this issue.

This. That is BS that this person is doing it on purpose and it's made her vomit. I don't usually make a fuss but I would be here

I actually think I'd do this tbh!

Please update us once you speak with them OP. I agree about getting it written in the notes and making a formal complaint. At the moment they don't want to deal with the hassle from the other patient so make dealing with the hassle from you first. I do think PALs would be interested in this.

😯 WTAF. That's awful that you went through that. I can't believe that patients are just expected to put up and shut up with behaviour like this.
I'm so sorry that you went through that.

We can ask people to stop spraying but there isn't much else we can do. We'd get the site matron to speak to them if they continued. But not sure how we can actually stop it. Unfortunately I don't think we would be allowed to confiscate it as it's their property.

You can't hold onto property that is being used to cause other patients to be physically sick? How is that caring for poorly patients? Who is meant to protect them from others if not the hospital staff?

Your poor sister! How horrible for her and frustrating for you. Sadly I imagine this is common for hosptial staff to encounter.

I hope spray woman has an allerigic reaction to her own spray or something karmaish.

I had many years ago a horrible fellow patient next to me, I was only a kid on an adult ward but she was heinous. Nothing they could do.
Luckily another patient threatened to strangle her with the buzzer chord.
But aren't some patients really messed up?

I hope DSis feels better soon and someone else threatens the spray arsehole!
She sounds a bully.

Go to the hospital, take the bottle off the patient and throw it away.

Absolutely disgusting behaviour.

What a bitch!

Talk to her directly. Is she spraying cos she is dependent on the sniffing the aerosol? Just find out why she's doing it.

She sounds a little unhinged tbh. Does she have visitors? Crack up a conversation with one, develop sine rappor and ask them.

Good luck.

Actually reminds me of the 27hr bus trip I had on Christmas Eve from Melbourne to Brisbane next to a “generously proportioned” young lady who doused herself in Vanilla Body Spray. (Do you have Impulse in the UK? It’s like the female equivalent of Axe.) Anyhow I asked her very politely if she could save spraying herself until we had a rest stop, and she smugly looked at me and sprayed herself VERY liberally. We were right behind the driver and he said without turning around “That stuff’s really nice love, Can I have a look so I can get some for my wife?” She handed it proudly to him and without even looking at it, he hurled it out the window into what we Aussies refer to as “Whoop Whoop”. (Middle of nowhere.) He then said “Learn some manners! That stuff fucking stinks!”

You do know that almost everything that ever existed has a fragrance? How you’ve survived for so long when you’re allergic to smells is a medical miracle!

🤣🤣🤣

To the bus driver up thread. 😁😆🎉🎯🌷

I actually love him

Yeah, I'd be swiping the spray as soon as madam falls asleep.

You go visit your sister and take the bottle from her and tell her to stop being such a nasty botch!! I honestly don't know when we all became such wet blankets and started pandered to arseholes.

That was supposed to be bitch obviously.

And what are they going to do? Another patient spraying body spray is not a reason to go moaning to PALS about.🙄

Remember that a crime is still a crime even if it happens on a hospital ward. If the woman is doing it on purpose to cause distress to the point of vomiting, that's a police matter. Nurses will soon sort it out if your sister is calling police to the ward.

It is if the ward staff aren't doing anything about it- its making someone else physically ill and there's no need for it. Honestly people shouldn't have to put up with this crap, you're vulnerable enough being on a shared ward when poorly let alone if you don't get the support of staff.

Don't be ridiculous,the poster means artificial perfume and many people can't tolerate it,it's a well known migraine trigger.

I would definitely go and take it off her

Just a quick update. Another nurse had a word with the patient today and she has apologised and said she won't spray as much. So far, so good so hopefully all resolved now. Thanks all for the advice.