My dad has severe incontinence, I bought store briefs and they did not give enough support, he leaked through. I bought briefs from a medical supply store and they still don't give enough support. He is being kicked out of the facility where he is right now because of this issue. Any advice would be great.
--KDH in Maryland
So, Tena seems to be the best for absorbency?
A condom catheter is a slightly thicker condom with an opening at the tip that is connected to a drainage tube which is connected to a drainage bag. The drainage bag can be emptied. The condom part is usually secured with either tape at the base of the penis or with a special Velcro closure. When the man starts to urinate, the urine flows into the bag, keeping everything dry. I had many patients use these and they are more reliable than diapers that don't hug the crotch. The thing to remember is that the bag needs to be below the bladder for gravity to drain the urine. You can tape the drainage tube to the inner thigh to secure it so the condom doesn't pull off.
You can also use a skin protectant so the urine won't excoriate the skin, (make it raw from the ammonia). Most pharmacies carry these. Desitin is one we use on babies. I would also use a bed pad (Chux) under him. Some are washable and some are disposable.
Restricting fluids (unless the doctor specifically orders this for a condition where they have fluid buildup) is NOT a good idea for an elderly person. As we age our "thirst meter" doesn't work so well. Older folks tend to drink less anyway and frequently become dehydrated. Withholding liquids could result in many problems, worse than a wet bed!
IMO, having an "Indwelling" catheter should be a last resort. These can be a portal for infection if the c/g doesn't know sterile technique. You also have to have them changed every 2-3 weeks. I have seen patients with their urethra worn down the shaft of the penis 1-1/2"! For long term need of an Indwelling catheter, usually a supra public catheter is inserted (a hole made from the abdomen to the bladder). These also have to be changed every 2 weeks but they don't wear out the urethra.
Give the condom catheter a try. You could try a diaper on top as long as you thread the tube through the diaper first.
Also, I have my husband on the medicine Ditropan XL. This gives him the control, somewhat, to get to toilet. Without it, he has no control, and leaks while changing his clothes.
Lastly, A home that would tell you that he must leave, because of incontinence, doesn't sound like a reputable, caring facility. I would consider another home.
Also, for Mkcweb- who's changing her MIL by undressing her--NOT NECESSARY! I learned the neatest trick from a CNA. Let me see if I can explain it well. Wish I could video it....OK. Drop her pants and underwear to ankles. Let her sit down. Cut or rip off underwear (wear gloves). Throw them away. Take a CLEAN brief, get down on the floor (sorry) and put her right foot into the underwear as if her pants weren't around her ankles. LEAVE PANTS ON!!!! SHOES TOO! Now, reach down inside her pants from the waist down the right leg (inside the pants leg). Grab the underwear and pull them up INSIDE the pants leg and on up her leg. OK. Now the cool part. Make sure you have them on correctly(front towards the front) Take your hand and go UP INSIDE her LEFT pants leg FROM THE BOTTOM of the leg!!! Your hand should come out from the leg at the waist of her pants. Grab the outside portion of the LEFT leg opening of the brief, stretch and pull it down INSIDE the pants leg and slide over the HEEL TO TOE of her foot. It's now around her LEFT ankle. Then reach thru that leg opening from the waist DOWN the leg and pull the brief UP THRU THE PANTS LEG! Make sure you keep it straight. Front to front as you grab the side and pull it. IT'S ON!!! NO UNDRESSING! I do this on my dad and he thinks it's so cool everytime.
My husband has severe bowel and bladder incontinence, and is a large man, not heavy, just large, so even the largest briefs never quite fit. We are trying to keep him at home, but cleaning walls, furniture, carpet etc was getting to be too much.
So, 1st, I got him several pairs of what I'd call rubber pants to go over the briefs, and what a difference they made. I found 2 kinds, again at North Shore. One is Salk Sani-pant Cover-up, and the other is GaryWear Active Brief Diaper Cover. Both are more than adequate to fit his large body.
Then, we added Simply Right Guards from Sams to his briefs. These are an added on pad that sticks to the brief and gives extra coverage/absorbancy.
I also ordered some briefs which gave extra coverage, but he doesn’t like the fit, but perhaps they will fit your Dad OK. First were Tranquility Premium Overnight Underwear from HDIS.com. The other was a free ($3.98 shipping) sample from Unique Wellness. This was the kind used for the astronauts called Wellness Brief Superio Series.
I didn’t even know these items existed and it took me a long time to research all the common sites and find/settle on these items, so I hope this helps. Good luck.
The Foley cath mentioned by ferris1 may make the most sense for you though. Do keep in mind that any cath increases the risk of UTIs, which must be weighed against your Dad's health issues.
Being that it'll happen at night also, I'll get that extra pad to put inside.
You've given me thought to add a blue pad under his bottom sheet. I do have a "plastic" mattress cover; but this pad will be a good addition.
Thank you.
Just throwing out some ideas.
Good Luck,
Richard K.
PickYourPain