Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Urinary Incontinence Devices For The Elderly

Must read

How Is Incontinence Diagnosed

Urinary incontinence is treatable and not a normal part of aging

If you have a bladder or bowel problem, talking to a health professional is the first step you can take to help yourself.

A doctor can assess your symptoms, identify the cause, and discuss what treatment or exercises may help cure or tackle your problems.

To help diagnose the problem your doctor may ask for or perform these tests:

  • a diary of your bladder habits
  • a physical examination to assess your bladder, pelvic floor muscles or prostate
  • a sample of your urine for testing
  • a blood test to check the health of your kidneys
  • an ultrasound scan of your bladder.

Some tests may help your doctor find the cause of your incontinence or a temporary problem, such as a urine infection, that can be treated quickly.

Having Senior Home Care Help

These are some of the best incontinence products for senior citizens. Does your elderly loved one have this health condition? If so, make sure you or a senior home care provider take them to their doctor to find out what type of incontinence they have. That way, the proper treatments can be put in place and you can get the right type of incontinence products for your elderly loved one.

Bladder And Bowel Incontinence

Incontinence is a loss of control of a personâs bowels or bladder which can cause accidental leakage of body fluids and waste. Incontinence can be more than a physical problem. It can disrupt your quality of life if its not managed well.

Fear, anxiety, and anger are common feelings for people dealing with incontinence. You may avoid being intimate or having sex because you are afraid of urine, gas, or stool leakage. Fear of having an accident may keep you from being physically active, enjoying hobbies, or spending extended time outside your home.

Both men and women can have incontinence during and after surgery or some other treatments for cancer. Incontinence can also occur because of other non-cancer medical conditions. Be sure to talk to your health care team if you have difficulty controlling urination or bowels. Talking about incontinence can be embarrassing, but being open and honest with your health care team can help manage it.

Don’t Miss: What To Do When You Get A Urinary Tract Infection

Who Is At Risk For Urinary Incontinence

You are more likely to develop urinary incontinence if youâre in a high-risk group, like women, the elderly, and smokers. First, letâs explore why women are more likely to become incontinent.

Women

With risk factors that include pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and anatomical differences, women have a greater risk for developing urinary incontinence. On the other hand, prostate gland problems in men can lead to urinary incontinence, so both genders are at risk. However, the risk is greater for women.

Elderly People

Loss of bladder and urethra muscle strength is a normal part of aging. Unfortunately, these changes reduce how much urine the bladder can hold. Also, the changes make it easier for the bladder to release involuntarily. Thatâs why so many older adults become incontinent.

People With Certain Diseases

Diabetes and various neurological diseases can increase your risk of losing control of your bladder. You are at high risk for incontinence if you have:

· Multiple sclerosis

· Parkinsonâs disease

· A brain tumor

Also, your risk increases if you have suffered a:

· Stroke

· Spinal injury

Overweight People

If you are overweight, the excess fat puts pressure on the bladder and the muscles surrounding it. The pressure weakens the muscles, and then you can lose control. The loss of control will most likely happen when you sneeze or cough.

Those With a Family History

Smokers

Washable Pads And Pants

Women Elderly Incontinence Urine Collection Funnel Pot Urination Device ...

Although there is an initial out cost with washable incontinence products, they are more cost effective over time. Some people also prefer the absorbency of terry towels especially at night as it can contain quite a large volume. There is also less skin irritation involved. The downside is products designed for anything more than light leakage tend to be very bulky and not discreet.

  • Washable Liners these are less commonly used than disposable liners as they tend to not be as effective. They are better suited to those who have control but want the reassurance of a pad
  • Washable Leafs these work the same as a washable liner but are shaped to specifically fit the male shape
  • Washable Pants these look exactly like everyday underwear but have an absorbent pad in the crotch area. Some men wear these in conjunction with a disposable pad for extra protection
  • Washable All-In-Ones are usually made of terry towelling combine with a plastic pant to go over the top to avoid liquid seeping through. These are better for those with heavy bladder leakage. They are quite bulky though and folding and pinning the towelling into the correct shape can be quite fiddly

Read Also: Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Urinary Tract Health

Where Can I Find Men’s Incontinence Products

Incontinence pads and disposable undergarments are usually available at drugstores and supermarkets. For other male incontinence products, a medical supply store might be your best bet.

If you’re anxious about buying incontinence products publicly, just look online. You should be able to find just about anything you want at an online superstore or online medical supply company. However, before spending a lot of money on a male incontinence product, check with a doctor to make sure it’s likely to help.

The Best Incontinence Products For Elderly Parents

September 1, 2021 By // by Angelica Herrera Venson, DrPH, MPH

Incontinence is certainly an may be an embarrassing problem, but its also a common one. Many people suffer from urinary incontinence , with the issue often getting worse with age. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to make things easier for people with incontinence, while helping to keep them dignified. Finding the best incontinence products for elderly family members is a large part of the puzzle.

When we talk about the best products, we dont really mean the best brand. The brand is important, sure, as I found when testing Depend versus Tena for myself. But, the single most important thing is finding the right type of product, one that fits the needs of the senior.

This can honestly be confusing as there are so many types out there.

So, in this post, were breaking the best incontinence products for elderly down into categories looking at how they work, what theyre effective for, and some of the best types.

You May Like: Is Cranberry Juice Good For Your Urinary Tract

Products For Clean Up

Theres one final set of products that needs to be a part of any list of the best incontinence products for the elderly, which are the items related to cleaning up.

After all, many of the products on this list are designed to contain accidents, rather than prevent them from happening. And, that containment will happen with varying degrees of success.

Products that are designed to prevent accidents wont work all the time either. For example, the senior might not make it to a commode in time or could try to use a urinal and just make a mess everywhere.

So, you need tools at hand to make cleanup easy, effective, and low stress especially if youre needing to do so late at night. Some examples include the following:

How Urinary Incontinence Affects Patients Quality Of Life

Treatment for Urinary Incontinence

One way urinary incontinence affects the quality of life for those living with the condition is physical. In addition to the embarrassment of wetting yourself, your furniture, and your bed lining, there is an increased possibility of developing skin, bacterial or fungal infections. These infections can occur because of moisture left on the skin too long or bacteria growth. Accidental falls occur more often in older adults with urinary incontinence. The rush to get to the bathroom can result in an older person accidentally falling when tripping over furniture or rugs. Another physical change occurs when urinary incontinence sufferers avoid going out or eliminate exercising altogether because of embarrassing accidental leakage.

Refusing to go out, keeping their secret from others, or completely isolating themselves because of urinary incontinence leads to emotional changes. Men and women who eliminate social activities and eliminate spending time with friends and family develop anxiety and depression. Furthermore, people who care for individuals with urinary incontinence over time find themselves having psychological issues.

Don’t Miss: Bard Urinary Drainage Bag With Anti Reflux Dome

Disposable Pads And Pants

Disposable pads and pants are the most convenient, easy-to-use and more discreet type of incontinence pad, although not the most cost effective and environmentally-friendly. The pads come in different absorbances to contain from light to heavy leakage/soiling. Disposable pants have improved considerably in recent years and are designed to look like normal underwear but contain an absorbent pad in the crotch area.

For men they come in a variety of designs including

  • Disposable Liners these are better suited for those who have light to moderate bladder leakage. They can slip during strenuous activity so an alternative may be best considered during exercise
  • Disposable Leafs/Pouches are more discreet that liners and are designed specifically for men. These are more suitable for those with light bladder leakage
  • Disposable Pants are designed to look like everyday underwear but with an absorbent pad suitable for moderate to heavy bladder leakage
  • Disposable All-In-Ones these are a unisex product designed to contain heavy bladder leakage. They are also more suited to those who suffer from bladder and bowel incontinence
  • Disposable T-Shape Pads these are similar to all-in-ones and are used to contain moderate to heavy bladder and bowel leakage. They are supposed to be easier to put on standing up and use a belt attachment

Using Male Incontinence Products

Some guys don’t want to try urinary incontinence products because they feel like it’s a sign of defeat. Once they start buying pads, they think, they’ll be stuck buying them for the rest of their lives. But remember that a lot of men may only need incontinence products temporarily. For instance, if you’ve just had prostate surgery, using some of these products may help get you through while you’re healing. Other men rely on incontinence products for a short time while their doctors figure out the underlying cause of their problems.

Think of incontinence products as valuable tools to help you get by. They may not be a long-term solution, but they can vastly improve your quality of life right now.

Show Sources

Don’t Miss: All Natural Urinary Tract Infection Treatment

Pelvic Muscle Training Devices

You can use these products when you do Kegel exercises, which help strengthen and control the muscles you clench when you try to hold in urine. Although you don’t need external devices to do Kegels, you may find they help enhance your workout.

There are different kinds of Kegel training devices. Some are aimed at men and women, including appliances you squeeze between your thighs. Vaginal weights, rods, and cones of various sizes are intended for women.

Itâs hard to tell at a glance which items might help you — or how some of them work. So do research and talk to your doctor before you buy any of them. Your doctor can help you narrow down the choices.

Choices In Protective Underwear And Briefs

Women Elderly Incontinence Urine Collection Funnel Pot Urination Device ...

When it comes to UI, men have many products available for dealing with occasional leaks.

  • Drip collectors wick up moisture if you have occasional leaks
  • Incontinence shields go inside your usual underwear to protect against light, infrequent leaks
  • Absorbent underwear is built with padding in the right places to keep leaks off your skin and clothes. These may or may not be washable, so check the label
  • Pull-ups are disposable briefs pulled on and off like typical underwear and work for heavy leaks
  • Diapers with tabs are disposable options that stand up to heavy leaks

You May Like: Do Urinary Tract Infection Go Away On Their Own

Detrusor Hypocontractility: Overflow Incontinence

For overflow incontinence, once again the history is suggestive: small to moderate amounts of urine leak out frequently without warning. This occurs when the pressure in the overdistended bladder is able to overcome the pressure of the outlet structures and stops far short of emptying the bladder. This can occur because the detrusor is hypocontractile e.g. diabetic autonomic neuropathy, or because the outlet pressure is high, as with prostatism, fecal impaction, or other pelvic mass. For men, outlet obstruction is more common for women, detrusor weakness, frequently of uncertain cause, is more likely. In either case, however, overflow incontinence, suggested by the history and confirmed by a large post-void residual volume, is best served by referral and urodynamic testing. In addition to the incontinence, infection and kidney failure are frequent consequences of obstruction.

Treatment is restricted to intermittent or, occasionally, chronic bladder catheterization to empty the bladder. Alpha-blockers such as tamulosin can reduce the outlet pressure modestly, reducing the volume and pressure in the bladder but not eliminating involuntary urine loss. Cholinergic medications are rarely effective and have many side effects.

Best Products For Urinary Incontinence

Using products can help you avoid the problems caused by untreated urinary incontinence. You can stay dry, socialize without fear, and more when using these products, starting with disposable sheet protectors.

Disposable Sheet Protectors

You donât want an accident to end up on your sheets. Fortunately, you can avoid this problem by using disposable sheet protectors. Disposable incontinence bed pads are a popular choice. You place the pad underneath you on the bed, and then it will soak up moisture if you urinate while sleeping.

Adult Diapers

You can use adult diapers to absorb urine when you have accidents. If you use diapers, make sure you use a barrier cream to prevent skin rashes. Also, change the diaper as soon as you go to the bathroom. Otherwise, the moisture can hurt your skin, even if you use a barrier cream.

Protective Underwear

Protective underwear is also an option. Often called pull-ups, protective underwear is discreet, so you can wear it when youâre out without feeling self-conscious.

Protective underwear locks in urine, but it canât hold as much as an adult diaper. Thus, many people choose to wear protective underwear when out and then change to a diaper when going to sleep for the night.

Liners

Mattress Protector

Don’t Miss: Guys Get Urinary Tract Infections

Perform Pelvic Floor Exercises Regularly

Pelvic floor exercises can reduce involuntary leaks, but you should do them properly for successful results. Some great pelvic strengthening activities include kegel exercises and Pilates. Pilates makes your core muscles stronger, consequently reducing stress incontinence.

Note that it may take up to three months of pelvic floor exercises before you finally start seeing its results. You also want to avoid high-impact exercises as they may exert pressure on your pelvic floor. These include jogging, sit-ups, and aerobics.

Causes Of Urinary Incontinence

Treatment Options for Urinary Incontinence

Incontinence can happen for many reasons. For example, urinary tract infections, vaginal infection or irritation, constipation. Some medicines can cause bladder control problems that last a short time. When incontinence lasts longer, it may be due to:

  • Weak bladder muscles
  • Overactive bladder muscles
  • Weak pelvic floor muscles
  • Damage to nerves that control the bladder from diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or Parkinsons disease
  • Blockage from an enlarged prostate in men
  • Diseases such as arthritis that may make it difficult to get to the bathroom in time
  • Pelvic organ prolapse, which is when pelvic organs shift out of their normal place into the vagina. When pelvic organs are out of place, the bladder and urethra are not able to work normally, which may cause urine to leak.

Most incontinence in men is related to the prostate gland. Male incontinence may be caused by:

  • Prostatitisa painful inflammation of the prostate gland
  • Injury, or damage to nerves or muscles from surgery
  • An enlarged prostate gland, which can lead to Benign Prostate Hyperplasia , a condition where the prostate grows as men age.

You May Like: Is Ciprofloxacin Used To Treat Urinary Tract Infections

Study Design And Participants

To answer this research question, two groups of family caregivers, living in two LAs of the Marche region with two different systems for the supply of absorbent products were compared. The first group lived in Ancona and collected the products via pharmacies. The second group lived in Fermo , and received the products at home.

An ad hoc questionnaire was administered to 101 family caregivers of OPI, who were included in the study on the basis of the following criteria: they had to be caregivers of older people with a medium-to-severe incontinence level , who used at least 2 pads daily, and who were residents in the municipalities of Ancona and Fermo.

Family caregivers were recruited from among all patients with UI admitted to the geriatric and neurology departments of two geriatric hospitals in Ancona and Fermo, between January and July 2016. Participants were recruited simultaneously in the two different geographical areas of the Marche region.

Family caregivers were informed by the head nurse about the aims of the study and that they might be interviewed. They were then contacted in the ward by interviewers and informed about the aims and methods of the study, in compliance with national personal data protection legislation . Only family caregivers who signed the informed consent form and agreed to take part in the study were interviewed, i.e. 89.4% of the caregivers contacted.

Essential Tips For Buying And Using Incontinence Products

  • Go Super-absorbent for nighttime and overnight use
  • Super-absorbent overnight adult diapers/briefs/underwear can absorb A LOT of urine output. Most of these products have a superabsorbent core that pulls voids away from the skin so the user feels dry and can sleep comfortably without a nighttime change. Sleep for the user and caregivers is paramount and this phenomenon has been borne out of necessity for those aging in place. Even assisted living facilities and institutional settings are looking at this phenomenon and re-thinking their “check and change every 3 hours” processes. See our most popular overnight products here.
  • A re-usable underpad can and should be used as a backup plan
  • Leaks do occasionally happen, so an underpad as a barrier of last resort can be mean much less laundering of sheets for those bedridden. Underpads with “flaps” are a preferred choice here as they can be “tucked” and will stay in place better.
  • Many customers use underpads on recliners, sofas, and even cars just in case. Being able to wash the underpad ultimately saves money and they are relatively cheap. See our most popular reusable underpads .
  • Reoccurring leaks are not normal
  • Booster Pads are becoming an increasingly popular choice
  • If suffering from Stress Incontinence or Overflow Incontinence , consider Incontinence Pads instead of diapers/briefs/underwear
  • Read Also: Over The Counter Urinary Tract Infection Pain Relief

    More articles

    Popular Articles