Caregiving for People New to Incontinence

When dealing with incontinence as an adult, especially if this is a new situation, it is very important to consider the emotional well-being and dignity of the individual. There is no singular cause of adult incontinence and it may be brought on by many situations including child births, disease, injury, certain medications, infection, or other conditions out of the control of the individual. If this is a new situation is is important to speak with a doctor or health care provider to help find the cause and provide advice for proper care. Click here for information about ways to help speak with your doctor about incontinence.

Types and Levels of Incontinence
You should always consider the feelings of the individual dealing with incontinence. They may be embarrassed, angry, confused, in denial, or ignoring symptoms hoping that they will go away. Many times a caregiver will be a family member or somebody close to the individual that is new at dealing with the situation and corresponding conversations. Being a caregiver can be a demanding job dealing with both the physical and psychological issues.

Recognize the Emotional Support Needed
Be sure to recognize and support an individual that has made the decision to seek help. Allow them to speak about their concerns and think about how you would want to be treated if the roles were reversed. The ultimate goal is to educate and provide the best possible care and solutions to the issues surrounding incontinence. Be supportive and resourceful and be willing to apply yourself willingly with a positive attitude to protect and maintain a positive relationship. And remember when dealing with adults - they are adults and this is a tough situation for them to be addressing.

Kinds of Wearable Products that are Available
Many people find themselves trying to determine what they need and start by asking all kinds of questions. For example, where should I start and what am I looking for to solve this because there are so many options? What is the difference between a pad and a brief (also known as “adult diapers”). Are there pull-ups for adults so they can dress themselves?

You can start by addressing the level of incontinence. Is is a couple of drops here and there, are there times when the urge to go comes too late to make it to the toilet, or is there a need for a wearable product to ensure there are no “accidents”. Click here for more information on types and levels of incontinence.

Once you have identified the absorbency requirements you can consider the actual types of wearable products to consider for use. Here is a link to the types of products available to wear including information about the differences between pads, briefs/adult diapers, and pull-ups/ protective underwear. Understanding your options, how they work, and the absorbencies they are available in will help you narrow down your selection process.

Other Products Needs for People with Incontinence
Many people new to incontinence care also wonder what other types of products may be needed. It is very important to keep skin clean and healthy.  Keeping skin healthy is more comfortable and much easier to deal with than trying to repair damaged skin or clear up a nasty diaper rash. Here is a link to skin cleansing and skin care products to help keep skin healthy. Avoid skin cleansers with harsh soaps or alcohol to ensure that fragile and sensitive skin is not irritated.

Keeping the environment clean and fresh smelling will benefit both caregiver and patient. Simply covering up smells with perfumes is a temporary solution. Consider biological odor eliminators like those used in hospitals and healthcare environments. These deodorizers attack and neutralize odors to make for a more pleasant environment for all. Also, surface disinfectants for hard nonporous surfaces will help keep your environment clean and healthy.

Disposable gloves for medical care are also a very inexpensive way to keep a barrier between you and urine and or feces. There are many types of gloves including vinyl, nitrile and latex available for caregivers.

Summary
If new or increasing issues with incontinence are occurring see a doctor or healthcare provider. Identify the level of protection needed and the type of wearable incontinence products that best fit your need, keep skin healthy and clean, and maintain a fresh smelling environment pleasant to caregiver and patient.