Mom is now (unhappily) ensconced in her new community - she was transferred from rehab Mon evening. I am trying to figure out if "pull ups" are the same as incontinence underwear? Are Depends pull ups? Or are those Always brand "lady underwear" the same as adult pull ups?
I knew from the mountains of stinky laundry and evidence on some chairs at my mother's home that she was having incontinence issues. The hospital and rehab put her in "pull ups." She also developed C.diff somewhere along the line, which was supposed to have resolved before she was discharged from rehab but she is having diarrhea again. So I need to purchase the correct item but the facility uses some generic products they buy in bulk and all the nurse told me was to get some adult pull ups. (I don't want to pay $79/mo for the community to provide them until I see if that is cost-effective.)
Mom is not totally incontinent - she much prefers the toilet if she gets help to get her to it in time, so she doesn't need a super absorbent item.
Can anyone recommend a brand that is comfortable, affordable and good for medium urine incontinence but will also catch any C. diff issues? Mom is 5'3 and 120 pounds now, so pretty small. Thanks!
1) Pads. These line underwear and can be used for leaks. NOT good for someone that is incontinent. Good for only urine and just leaks.
2) "Pull-Up" There are any incontinent product that replaces underwear and is great for someone incontinent or may not make it each time they have to use the bathroom. Good for Urine and Fecal incontinence. Good as long as a person is mobile
3) Tab type brief (commonly called Diapers but I do not think that term is appropriate for adult incontinence products {my opinion}) there are good if the person is bedbound or is not real mobile. They are not quite as "comfortable" as the underwear type BUT much easier for a caregiver to get on and off if the person is in bed.
There are also pads that can line anyone of the products. They do not have a fluid resistant backing so they boost the absorption of any of the products. Do not use regular "pant liners" with a fluid resistant backing as they will not allow the main product to absorb fluid and you will end up with leaks.
Finding a product that will fit correctly is the biggest problem.
If mom is in a facility I sure would not spend money on expensive or "high end" products because they WILL be used on other residents and mom will be put in someone else's product when she runs out.
Typically a facility should be checking and possibly changing a brief every 2 hours so figure how many may get used in a facility VS at home. For that reason as well I would not buy the ultra expensive ones.
By the way, I always refer to these items as her "undergarments". They are, indeed, disposable undergarments. And I always make sure she applies a barrier cream after cleansing herself with an aloe wipe.
Ok.. on the underwear issue. Pullups....they are called pullups because they are put on just like your normal underwear.... and pulled up. In home healthcare, we use the pullups when the patient/client is still walking. When you use these with bedbound patients... we have found very more difficult to use. When the patient/client is no longer walking, we normally switch to "diapers".
Then there are the other kind.... we call those diapers ONLY to differentiate them from pullups. FYI... I DO NOT call them diapers in front of my patients because most likely would offend them. These are put on like diapers for infants because the front is brought up between the legs. The back part has those sticky tabs that then come around to the front ----that then stick to the front part.
Here is something else that I have found that works... and helps ease the work of the caregiver and cheaper.
For the male----buy those pads that women use during the menstrual cycle. Wrap one around the penis. You can figure out which way works the best. Some of these pads are very absorbent and hold a ton of urine. Also the runny feces. When my patient/client has "the runs", I put these pads over his anus to catch the "runs". You might need 2 to cover that area. ..and then have the diapers/pullups over that. These pads much of the time are the ONLY thing that gets dirty and therefore the only thing you have to change and .......saves money, too!
For women ----place the pad from the back to front, between her legs. Also, you can do the same for her if she has diarrhea.
You may end up using 2-3 pads inside the pullup/diaper to catch whatever and then all you may have to do is change those pads. Much easier than having to change the pullups or diapers with all that rolling of the client that has to be done to accomplish that feat.
God bless you. Hugs... from a caregiver of 30 years.
I believe Medicare now covers the cost (we bought ours before Medicare approved), and cost of disposable wands are supposed to be covered soon.
For adult incontinence the pull on underwear comes in all sizes and absorbencies. My aunt is satisfied with the Amazon brand Solimo disposable underwear but she only occasionally has accidents. Mainly these give her a bit more time to get to the toilet.
Mom has big urinary incontinence issues and occasional diarrhea. She uses Tena overnight and the Tena super absorbency disposable underwear.
Your mom may use small in either brand. Both are the pull on kind.
You can try out smaller packages from the grocery store to start with.
I highly recommend a daily probiotic for her gut help. Her facility physician would probably agree. Get her to eat some yogurt everyday.
Good luck!
I would also like to suggest getting the 36 x 30 (some are a little bigger and some are a little smaller) disposable pads. If something soaks through, it is much easier to change a pad than the sheets on the bed (in the middle of the night) - as the rubber/plastic type mattress cover is below the sheet. There are different products available on Amazon for a reasonable rate. I like the one with the adhesive tape on the back. They lightly attach to the bottom sheet and don't move around as much as the ones without the adhesive.
There are also washable inco' briefs, which are padded and reinforced underwear. Their advantages are that: they are more economical to buy; they are ecologically more acceptable; they are made of ordinary fabric materials but with highly absorbent layers, so they feel more like standard panties to wear. Their disadvantages are that they won't cope as well with very high volumes/fecal issues as disposables do; and of course they can't be removed so easily; and of course although they can be laundered at high temperatures they're not actually going to be sterile.
Until your poor mother can be helped to get rid of her C diff, I should go for the disposable pull-ups - all of the big brands such as Tena and Depends make them, in various shapes and sizes. These won't stop her using the toilet as normal, when she's able to, because you can just pull them down like ordinary knickers, and if they're clean and dry there's no reason not to pull them straight up again once you're done.
Points to look for (if you're being picky) include properly made seams, a soft feel to the fabric, not too much excess "frill" fabric at leg holes and waistband, and an even stretch to the elasticated part. As in everything, do beware the false economy.
[Personal note: I am also very grateful to those manufacturers who make it clear which is the front and which is the back. Not all do! - and you feel a right numpty if you get it wrong and your poor client looks like she's wearing a codpiece... :/]
But if she is needed help to make it to the bathroom then believe me, she won't be making it there in time because they can take up to 15 minutes or even longer to come and help you.
They usually keep residents in pull ups so they don't have to worry about getting them to the toilet in time.
There forever, the loved one will usually poop and or pee in their pull ups before they get to the toilet.
Juse hope they don't leave your loved one in wet or soiled diapers for very long or she will end up with a rash or worse.
Sad but True.
You should deffiently have a Camera installed in her room so you can keep an eye on what really goes on.
What you are told and shown can be totally different than what actually goes on.
Prayers.
When she moved to memory care, after a few accidents, They asked me to bring pull ups. She still goes to the bathroom, but has some mobility issues, walks slowly and I think with new place didn't leave enough time to get there.
I bought her the always discrete boutique, since they at least look pretty, like underwear, and don't sound crinkly. They've said they work well. Walgreens seem to run them on sale often.
Move to pull-ups if the underwear is getting wet. Start with the lightest/cheapest. They may have a waist measurement on the pack as a size guide.
Pullups with a booster pad insert can be used too. Changing the booster insert as needed. I think boosters are cheaper.
Pull-ups and incontinence underwear are the same (Depends and Always are pullups). "Briefs" are what most of us consider diapers, the kind with tabs on the sides.
I'm not sure what to tell you about which ones to buy since your Mom can make it to the bathroom sometimes. I buy Depends for my Mom as she's incontinent of urine all the time, but when she had diarrhea they didn't absorb that very well .
I have ordered products from Carewell and I think I saw some products that mentioned they worked well for stool incontinence, but I'm not positive because I've been looking at so many sites and products to find the best value. The choices are daunting, for sure, and you might have to use trial and error to find the right fit.
I didn't know until lately that there was such a thing as booster pads to go inside pullups either. you might not need that now but you might in the future. I had been making slits in Poise or Tena pads for extra absorbancy and accidentally came across the booster pads.
Good luck with finding the right product!