Caring for Someone With Incontinence

Caring for someone with incontinence can be both challenging and expensive.  Caregivers often need to deal with the person’s embarrassment, in addition to challenges involved with helping the person to the toilet or a commode, and cleaning both the person, their clothes, bedding, furniture and flooring.  Maintaining good hygiene is of primary importance.

Incontinence occurs in several forms, falling under two primary categories:

1. Urinary incontinence (overactive bladder )
2. Fecal incontinence (bowel incontinence)

Home Care Aides providing support to seniors suffering from incontinence rely on a variety of products which include:

• Remote toileting receptacles for when the bathroom cannot be reached, protective pads from beds, wheelchairs, and furniture
• Easy-to-open outerwear
• Urine collection and regulator devices
• Personal protective pads, liners, and undergarments,
• Pelvic floor exercise and strengthening devices
• Supplements and over-the-counter medicines
• Clean-up and sanitation items
• Skin care items
• Logs and reminder devices to help prevent accidents
• Specialty diets to prevent over-stimulation, constipation, or restriction, depending on the type of incontinence.

Selecting the right products can make a caregiver’s job more manageable.

The protective pad and liner products vary greatly by how much they are able to absorb.  When choosing products you need to consider if it is urinary or bowel incontinence, as well as the quantity and frequency of leakage.  Also important are the person’s mobility, body size, and gender.

Some products are washable and reusable, and can therefore save money.

Incontinence products include:

Product Category	Product Examples	Product Images
Remote toileting receptacles	Bedpans Urinals Commodes Commode/Shower rolling chairs
Bed, wheelchair, and furniture protective pads	Under pads Bed pads and mattress protectors
Incontinence outerwear	Pants with elastic waistbands Trousers with detachable crotch
Urine collection and regulator devices	Urine bag pants Wearable urine collectors Urinary drainage collection bags Urine catheter sleeves and bag holders Bladder control pads Penile clamps
Personal protective pads, liners, and garments	Feminine hygiene pads Pant liners Disposable undergarments Belted undergarments Adult briefs Pull-Up underwear Protective underwear
Exercise and strengthening devices	Kegel balls Pelvic-floor muscle trainer
Supplements and over-the-counter medicines	Anti-diarrhea products Bladder control supplements Laxatives for constipation Hemorrhoid products Prostrate support supplements
Clean-up and sanitation	Bidets and bidet toilet seats Vinyl gloves Wash cloths Hand wipes Cleaning products Detergents Liquid sanitizers Refuse containers and bags

If a person is wearing incontinence briefs, the caregiver should be sure to that the person changes them regularly so they are never sitting too long in a soiled brief. Cleanse thoroughly with a moist wipes during each change.

Help for Family Caregivers

AARP’s Home Alone Alliance^sm has created a “How-To” videos and resource guides for family caregivers on specific tasks.  You can find their video for Managing Incontinence by clicking the links below.

This video series  seeks to provide family caregivers with an overview of managing incontinence challenges. It was developed by Alliance members—the AARP Public Policy Institute and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC, Davis.

English

• • Managing Incontinence: How Family Caregivers Can Help
  • Managing Incontinence at Home
  • Helping Someone to the Toilet
  • Seeking Support: Managing a Family Member’s Incontinence
  • How to Talk With Someone About Incontinence
  • Selecting Incontinence Products
  • Managing Incontinence: Difficulty Getting Out of Bed

Spanish

• El control de la incontinencia
• Cómo hablar sobre la incontinencia con tu familia
• Cómo elegir y pagar los productos para la incontinencia
• Cómo manejar la incontinencia cuando la persona tiene dificu

Resource Guides

• Managing Incontinence: How Family Caregivers Can Help (PDF)
• Managing Incontinence at Home (PDF)
• Helping Someone to the Toilet (PDF)
• Seeking Support: Managing Family Member’s Incontinence (PDF)
• How to Talk with Someone About Incontinence (PDF)
• Selecting Incontinence Products (PDF)
• Managing Incontinence: Difficulty Getting Out of Bed (PDF)

Bibliograhpy

Reinhard, Susan. Latest How-To Videos for Family Caregivers Provide Guidance on Complex Medical Tasks. aarp.org . AARP Pubic Policy Institute. 16 Sep 2019. Web. 3 Feb 2020.

Incontinence Products

Below is a sampling of incontinence products help you to be prepared and to clean up. Click on the links to find out more information, see other products selections, and if you like, to make a purchase from one of our providers.