The Ronald McDonald House in Lund hosts families from all over Sweden, Norway and Iceland during the time that their children receive specialist care at Lund University Hospital. All 27 rooms at the home away from home are continuously booked and it is vital that they are all functioning, so no family needs to be turned away.
Creating a safe place
“The idea with the patient hotel is to keep the family together during long treatment periods. We want to create an oasis here, so families can manage the long days at the hospital,” says Jennie Norén, Operational Manager at The Ronald McDonald House in Lund.
Part of this is creating a safe and secure environment where bed bugs should never be a concern. Thankfully, The Ronald McDonald House has never had a problem with bed bugs. Still, with the increase in infestations worldwide, this issue cannot be overlooked.
“It all started after attending a lecture held by Christine Dahlman Jacobsen at Nattaro Labs. This sparked a consciousness around bed bugs and the growing problem of this pest. It awoke the thought of bringing preventive solutions into our operations,” says Jennie Norén.
A collaboration with education
In 2017 a collaboration started with Nattaro Labs visiting the house to educate the staff on bed bugs and how to prevent them. The staff learned about the different stages of a bed bug, what they look like and where to look for them. They learned about how to install Nattaro Safe™ bed bug tape and how to inspect it.
Protection on every bed
The Ronald McDonald House in Lund has 27 rooms with three beds in every room. Along with the over 90 fixed beds, there are 10 movable cribs. They have all been fitted with Nattaro Safe™ bed bug tape. With very little space in the system for disruptions, it is essential that all 27 rooms are available.
“We have the highest number of occupied beds in Sweden of all the Ronald McDonald Houses. As soon as one family moves out, we need to prepare the room for the next family. We follow very strict hygiene standards and between every family, our staff check the bed bug tape,” says Jennie Norén.
Being proactive is a winning choice
In the case of The Ronald McDonald House, the consequences of a bed bug problem would be dire. “It would be too awful to have to deny a family a room because of an infestation. It would mean three to four weeks of closing off a room for a bed bug treatment. It’s much better to be proactive and look at these issues before they become a problem. You have everything to win.” Jennie Norén continues to say that she feels very secure and calm with the preventive solutions in place:
“Now we have done everything to minimise the risk of a bed bug infestation. I feel great confidence in Nattaro Labs and our collaboration,” she concludes.