Any ideas on how to help with nursing home odors?

the inhome caregivers we just hired recommended sprinkling baking soda on carpet and just purchased what is supposed to be a magic solution and one that many nursing homes use from Home Depot called Zorbx that I plan on spraying on everything in the house Saturday .. I'll let you know

My sister is a resident in a long term care facility. Luckily she is not bowel incontinent, yet, but her roommates have been. I buy her Vicks Vapo Rub and she rubs some right under her nose above the lip. She smells that instead of the other odors and helped with breathing at the same time. I tried it too. It really did help. She learned this back when she worked in a hospital. Perhaps some other hospital personnel might also have a suggestion. I wish you the best.

I've bought a little bag of active charcoal to hang on her wardrobe door, I've also hidden an air sponge type deodorizer in an artificial plant on her night stand (I'm being very cautious with this and have only made a small opening as I don't want it to bother anyone else), it's kind of like peeing in the wind but at least it is something.
I'm still getting a feel for the place, there are times when I've been there that the smell is much less noticeable, hopefully the truly nasty times are not that frequent.

Go to a health food store - ask what they would use - you then will have to make sure none of others in room are allergic to it before buying anything

I'm not sure of the situation and sometimes you have to be sensitive. I get that, but, I might have to be the squeaky wheel on this issue. I'd ask for a meeting and ask for the policy of the facility, inquire about their protocol, explain how things are, that it's unacceptable, needs changing, intolerable, etc. I might keep doing it, until something changes or mom is moved to another room.

I've heard of people becoming nose blind.  Maybe, the staff aren't aware of the severity.  There is a way to avoid lingering, terrible odors, because some facilities don't have them.  

Odor or sanitation was very high on my list when I shopped for a home for my mother. Lucky for us the home just down the street was and remains odor free and quite affordable, and comfortable for her and us. IMHO odors or the lack of is an indicator of the level of service and care a home provides.   MY ADVISE is to move her to an odor free facility.  Everyone will be much happier-you wouldn't want to live in a stinky room, would you?

Yes, CWillie, the fact that your mom's roommate smells IS your business. They can't tell you what's going on, but you CAN and should object to your mom being exposed to this level of objectionable smells.

The smell is from one of mom's room mates. I haven't really had the nerve to ask exactly what the problem is, and it really isn't my business :(
Soiled linens and incontinence products go into bins in the hall during scheduled change times (before and after meals), which makes the queue to the dining room especially crowded and unpleasant.

Put a small plastic container under her bed with borax...add a bit of shaved soap if you want to add a scent.

My mom has been in a one star nursing home for 3 years. In all that time, I have never smelled ANYTHING. Incontinence products should not be getting disposed of in rooms. Just saying...

I've brought unscented air fresheners to a facility. 89 cents on sale. You can also order peppermint oil on line and soak a cotton ball in it. Leave the cotton ball on a shelf or somewhere in the room. The challenge, of course, is getting the waste baskets emptied and clothes washed well. You can control your Mom's but likely not the other residents! Still, I always know where the garbage goes and I empty the bathroom bag containing all of the incontinence products and take it out to the dumpster on my way out. That stuff sitting there drives me crazy. These suggestions won't help the rest of the floor but I always felt like I was at least trying. Good luck

Baking soda has packaging for fridge with sucker to stick up. Can you put one on underside of bed or on bedside table?

cwillie, I am moving this question back to the top, hopefully someone will come along with some great ideas :)

I know what you mean about the odor. Any time I went to visit my Mom in long-term-care, as soon as the elevator doors opened, I knew I had the right floor.