Keeping incontinent patient clothed posted by Cindy57 @ 01:33 PM May 25, 2008

Cindy57 — Sun, 25 May 2008 13:33:29 -0000

Glitter,

Glad to hear that it worked and you all got some sleep...Sometimes we get so frustrated that we can't think clearly and it sounds like you weren't getting much sleep either but I bet you would have thought of it in time..You're very welcome!

Sending good thoughts!

Keeping incontinent patient clothed posted by Glittergirl13137 @ 04:56 PM May 24, 2008

Glittergirl13137 — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:56:52 -0000

To Cindy57, I don't think you could have made a better suggestion and I wonder now why I didn't think of this myself. I spoke with my client yesterday about trying just the blue pads as opposed to diapers, and she was all for it. She's not always completely lucid and clear, but yesterday afternoon she was alert and awake and open to discussion. She told me how hard it was for her to get the diapers off herself, but she thought they were wet and they needed changing. Why she suddenly thought she should accomplish this chore alone, as opposed to calling for the assistance of one of her caregivers as she always has previously, is beyond me but she does. Anyway, she would struggle with them and turn from side to side to try and get them off. This explains why the waterproof pads, which I was using as a backup against any leaks from the diapers, were bunched up and not under her and why the bedding was getting all wet. Last night required 3 times of getting up and changing the pads, but now all I had to do was replace the pad, use some warm water and soap to clean her, and then she was ready to go back to sleep. Previously, she had to be washed, have the diaper changed, change her nightgown, the bedsheets, etc., and after all of that usually had a hard time going back to sleep. Such a little thing makes such a big difference. I know we have only tried this method for one night, but I have a feeling your solution worked and her nights will be a lot more comfortable. Thank you a million times over!

Keeping incontinent patient clothed posted by Cindy57 @ 01:30 PM May 24, 2008

Cindy57 — Sat, 24 May 2008 13:30:44 -0000

Glitter,

Your welcome! I am glad that I had an idea that could help you.. Let me know if it helped..

Those pads made my life easier and my grandmothers more comfortable..

Good luck to both of you!

Keeping incontinent patient clothed posted by Glittergirl13137 @ 03:27 AM May 24, 2008

Glittergirl13137 — Sat, 24 May 2008 03:27:43 -0000

I would just like to thank the people who took the time to respond. I have a few good ideas now, and I would especially like to thank Cindy57 who suggested just using the under pads for the bed as opposed to any diapers at all at nighttime. I, too, am concerned about bedsores and I think the idea of having air on the bottom is a good one. I intend to speak to my client and try that tonight to see if it's any help. We have tried different brands of diapers and no one brand seems to be any more comfortable than the other, from the reaction that I get. Of course I use waterproof pads on the sheets, and the idea of two sets of sheets and two pads is a good idea too so that the entire bed doesn't have to be remade in the middle of the night so thanks, Missy, for that one. That will save me a little sleep! Hopefully I will find the solution to this problem soon, since above all I do want my client to be comfortable and have a good night's rest herself, and I am convinced I am at the right place to find help. Thanks again to all.

Keeping incontinent patient clothed posted by Cindy57 @ 07:40 PM May 23, 2008

Cindy57 — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:40:36 -0000

Hi Glittergirl,

Missy is right, this is not at all unusual..My grandmother absolutely hated her diapers too.. So rather than diapers I started using those disposable pads that you lay on the bed under them..Of course I had to buy the shorter nightgowns and I would pull them up to her waist before I covered her and amazingly the blankets that covered her rarely got wet and those pads do absorb most of the wetness from urine..

I will add that once she became more frail she did wear the diapers during the day but her skin was so thin on her bottom that we kept using the pads at night so that her bottom got air because it was so sensitive to moisture..

I found that once she was bedridden that the blood flow to her bottom wasn't very good and that can actually cause bedsores to start more easily so you have to keep a closer eye on their bottoms and move them often..

She didn't have any bedsores while she was with me but when she went into the home she got one and so I had to check her bottom everytime I went to make sure she wasn't getting any..

Every morning the first thing I would do is clean her really good because their urine can become much stronger as they get older...

I had to laugh at your remark about her saying "I didn't want to see it go to waste.." That sounds just like my grandmother..They lived in a time that waste was something that was a sin to them and you recycled everything.. It took me a while to get her to understand that we flush the toilet for the same reason that we throw soiled diapers or pads away...Its just plain unsanitary..

Good luck to you!! I empathize so much..

Keeping incontinent patient clothed posted by Missy @ 06:01 PM May 21, 2008

Missy — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:01:07 -0000

Hi Glitter,

Thanks for posting!

I don't have a great answer, but I what I can tell you is that this adversion to diapers is pretty common. A close family friend of ours has her 95 year old mother living with her and has had similar problems. In talking with their family physician they realized it's a problem for lots of folks.

I can't explain why, but these diapers are like gold to our friend's mother. She would find soiled ones tucked away in drawers. When she asked her mom about it, mom would say something like "it's not that soiled" or "I didn't want to see it go to waste".

Since this seems to be happening in bed, perhaps what you can do is put a waterproof mattress cover on with a sheet, then an identical set on top of it. That way, if she has an accident, at least you can just pull one set off and have the bed ready to go again quickly rather than having to launder everything immediately.

Another thing that just came to mind is her comfort. Is it possible the brand of diapers you're using isn't comfortable? Would another brand be a possibility?

Keep us updated!

Keeping incontinent patient clothed posted by Glittergirl13137 @ 06:45 PM May 19, 2008

Glittergirl13137 — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:45:35 -0000

I am caregiver to a 92 year old bedridden woman, who is incontinent and wears adult diapers night and day. She has been incontinent for approximately 2 years. Lately, within the last couple of months, she has taken to pulling her diapers down or completely off, stating at first that she was unaware that she did this but then claiming she doesn't want to get them wet or dirty. She then proceeds to urinate or eliminate, leaving her bed wet and/or dirty and sometimes remaining in that state if this happens in the middle of the night. I am certain that she has feeling in her legs and is able to tell when the diapers are pulled down, but I can't convince her to keep them pulled up to do the job they are made for. She has and frequently does hold grudges against her caregivers for things she imagines are behaviors personally imposed upon her to make life difficult, so I think this may be in the line of punishment to her caregivers in her mind. Nonetheless, does anyone have any suggestions to resolve this problem?