When caring for elderly or disabled people with incontinence, there are a variety of different incontinence aids and equipment available to make your job easier. Before choosing the right aids for each person in your care, it’s important to understand the reason for the incontinence.
People Who Are Unable To Go To The Toilet At Night
Patients with disabilities or age-related conditions often don’t have the ability or are hesitant to get out of bed and go to the toilet at night. Especially if it is dark and the toilet is a fair distance away. This is where bedpans and urine bottles can be very useful.
These units are ideal for patients who have mobility issues and will allow them a degree of independence if they have to empty their bladder during the night or at other times when carers are busy or with other patients. You’ll find that both male and female urine bottles are available.
Having these aids available to patients with mobility issues also offers the patients a degree of dignity when they are unable to get assistance or make their way to the toilet themselves.
Patients Who Are Not Able To Communicate Well
Some patients who have certain cognitive issues may not be able to communicate their need to go to the toilet. In this case, it can be wise to use something like visual communication cards so the patient can alert you that he or she needs to go to the toilet.
On the other hand, patients who are suffering from dementia or other age-related cognitive issues may have lost the ability to recognise the signals that they need to go to the toilet.
In these instances, incontinence aids such as protector pads can be very useful. Protector pads are available for both beds and chairs and will provide a layer of protection to stop things like mattresses from becoming soiled.
These protectors also help to absorb moisture away from the patient’s skin to provide a level of comfort when accidents happen. Chair protector pads can also be used in cars and wheelchairs and are easy to wash.
Incontinence Underwear Can Be A Huge Help
Another thing to consider to make caring for incontinent patients easier is the use of incontinence underwear. This can be extremely useful both at night or for times when the incontinent person is on an outing where toilets may not be handy or close by.
There are even a variety of incontinence underwear styles that are suitable for wearing while swimming or using hydrotherapy pools.
In Summary
When caring for elderly or disabled patients with incontinence issues, there are numerous aids available that can help with the toileting needs of these people. Whether the patients have a problem with mobility or have cognitive issues, you as the carer can have access to all manner of equipment to make your job so much easier.
Plus, many of these aids will also give the patient a higher level of independence and provide them with some dignity when they just cannot get to the toilet on time.