Hollister New Image Flexwear Skin Barrier CTF: 14203, 14204

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 16, 2015 under Ostomy Care | Be the First to Comment

This post is part of our series about the ostomy items that we carry at TotalHomeCareSupplies.com. This item, Hollister’s New Image Flexwear Skin Barrier CTF (Cut-to-Fit) comes in two different sizes: the 14203 has a 2 ¼ inch flange as a part of the two piece system (the flange and the pouch, not included) and the 14204 has a 2 ¾ inch flange.

The term “Flexwear” is how Hollister indicates that the product is a standard wear skin barrier, as opposed to an extended wear skin barrier. The barrier protects skin from corrosive drainage.

This type of skin barrier is a floating flange, which eliminates pressure on tender post-operative abdomens, though many find it comfortable after the post-surgery stage depending on the placement and whether their stoma is convex or concave.

This Cut-to-Fit system provides the utmost security with by with its patented locking system. A tape boarder is used to keep the flange on the skin.

A review of this product by an ostomate states that this product is “Easy to fit, durable, good product,” but recommends that an adhesive remover be used when it’s time to take the product off of the skin.

Tips for a Healthy Weight to Control Incontinence

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 12, 2015 under BladderMatters | Be the First to Comment

By Leslie Gaillard for LiveConfidently.com

Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for total body health, as well as the health of each of your body systems. Excess body weight adds unnecessary strain and stress on your individual organs, joints, and ligaments. Consider that for every extra pound of weight you carry, the stress on the knee joint is increased by 4%, which can contribute to pain and limited mobility.

The bladder is another organ that is impacted by excess weight. In particular, excess body weight carried around the midsection can stress and stretch the muscles and ligaments that support the bladder. Not surprisingly, this can contribute to bladder leakage and more frequent trips to the bathroom, due to urgency. Furthermore, excess abdominal fat, known as visceral fat, raises an individual’s risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Here are some of my favorite tips to help you stay healthy and maintain a healthy body weight to help control incontinence:

Avoid caloric beverages like sugar sweetened sodas, sports drinks, lemonades, and fruit drinks. 100% juice should be limited to 1 cup daily. Liquid calories don’t register with the satiety center in your brain like food does.

Limit your intake of processed foods, especially foods made with refined white flour or added sugars. If the first or second ingredient is a sugar or refined flour (such as enriched wheat flour), it’s not an ideal food to be eating regularly. Instead, choose whole grains like oats, barley, whole wheat, brown rice, and quinoa.

Strive for five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. When fresh produce is not in season, try frozen fruits and vegetables that contain no added sugars or sodium. Research shows that people who increase their fruit and vegetable intake lose as much as those restricting calories.

Limit unhealthy fats. This can include fatty cuts of red meat, fried foods, cheeses, and other whole milk dairy products. Also, avoid any products containing trans fats, also known as “partially hydrogenated oils.” Choose healthy fats like nuts and seeds, avocados, and olive oil.

Consume adequate fluids. At a minimum, most individuals need 64 ounces of fluid per day. Ideally, most fluids should come from water and other non-caffeinated beverages. Note that caffeinated and carbonated beverages increase bladder urgency. Urine that is the color of pale straw or diluted lemonade is indicative of being properly hydrated.

Get moving. Strive to get regular aerobic exercise at least three times a week for 30 minutes. Alternatively you can break up your exercise routine into shorter intervals, such as 10 minutes three times per day. Incorporate resistance or strength training two times per week for total body conditioning.

Do you have any healthy tips of your own? Head to our incontinence forum and share your thoughts with people just like you!

An Introduction to Breast Pumps

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 11, 2015 under Everything Baby | Be the First to Comment

TotalHomeCareSupplies.com sells breast pumps and their accessories, including flanges, storage bags, storage bottles, car adapters, nursing pads and Store’N Pour starting kits. Not sure what all those things are or how you’ll use them? Keep reading!

Your main component will obviously be the breast pump, which is lightweight and portable. The Ameda Purely Yours Pump is a closed system with individually adjustable controls and built-in bottle holders. The pump will also arrive with two 36 inch tubes, two adapter caps, two silicone diaphragms, two pump bodies with standard size breast shields, four white valves and two four-ounce bottles with tops.

The flange is the part of the pump that fits over your breast. The ones that come with the pump are standard size, and the extra flanges that we sell are in sizes Medium/Large and Extra-large/XXL.

The Store’N Pour Starting Kit has milk storage bags (so you’re able to store more milk that you could in bottles) along with two flange adapters. The adapters mean you’re able to pump milk directly into the bags.

As for putting the whole thing together so you can start pumping, we recommend watching the video below. Happy pumping!

Conflicts in Caregiving: Accepting Help

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 10, 2015 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

Caregiving is an exhausting endeavor. Being responsible for another human who has their own life can be quite the task. There are appointments, therapies, tips to remember, behaviors to accommodate and much more. So why is it that so many caregivers are reluctant to ask for help or to accept help that has been offered?

There are several reasons, and more than we can list or identify here. There’s pride. There’s the notion that taking the time to explain to someone else how they can help would take longer than time they’d be able to actually help. There’s fear that if something goes wrong when someone is helping that it is your fault.

Allowing someone to come in and take over caregiving duties can be daunting. So if you’re having trouble accepting help, maybe start with peripheral tasks. If someone is offering help, but isn’t sure what that should do, have them stop by the grocery store for you, or pick up the dry cleaning. See if they’re willing to come over and just be with you and your caree for a meal – even better if they’re willing to cook!

Maybe once you see them handle a few of the simpler tasks, you can slowly show them more and more of the daily tasks it takes to be the caregiver of your caree. Keep in mind how important it is for you to take breaks from caregiving, for your own mental and physical health. And don’t forget that none of us is infallible – if you were temporarily incapable of doing your caregiving duties, is there someone who would be able to come in as your backup?

Accepting help isn’t about weakness – it’s about the strength to know your own limits and what’s best for you and your caree.

Hollister New Image Lock N Roll Drainable Pouch Transparent with Filter: 18193, 18192, 18194

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 7, 2015 under Ostomy Care | Read the First Comment

Today, we’ll be continuing our series, taking a closer look at some of our ostomy items. Hollister’s New Image Lock N Roll Drainable Pouch Transparent with Filter comes in three different sizes: 1 ¾ inch flange, 2 ¼ inch and 2 ¾ inch.

The exciting part about this pouch is how easy it is to close. All you have to do is take the end, roll or fold it three times in the same direction, then, while pressing from the middle outward, you can actually feel the pouch seal and become leak-proof. That’s why they call it the Lock N Roll! It’s great for all drainable pouch users, but especially for those with vision issues or those with dexterity problems.

Not only is it easy to close, it’s also easy to empty. Simply give the sides a light pinch to open the pouch, and you’ll be able to control the content flow. As soon as you stop pinching, there are firm reinforcing stripes to that shut the pouch. You can then use a tissue to easily wipe the inside of the pouch clean, and you’ll be able to roll it closed again.

This model also features an integrated filter to keep all odors inside the pouch without filling with gas. The pouch walls are odor barriers and rustle free. Belt tabs are also included. You’ll find a ComfortWear pouch panel on both sides. And do remember that this pouch is transparent.

If you have used this pouch before, please let your fellow ostomates know! You may comment below or leave a review on the product page. Thanks!

Large and Bariatric Adult Diapers and Pull-Ups

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 5, 2015 under BladderMatters | Be the First to Comment

For those looking for adult diapers larger than the general “medium” waist size of 35 to 40 inches, many of the briefs and even pull-ups that we offer here at TotalHomeCareSupplies.com come in are available in bigger sizes. Between large and extra-large sizes, and the five types of bariatric diapers we sell, we have options available up to 106 inch waist sizes.

Most of our adult diapers are available in large and extra-large sizes, varying from First Quality Nu-Fit Adult Briefs to Tranquility’s ATN (All-Thru-the-Nite) Brief. Speaking of Tranquility, they make three of the bariatric briefs we sell: the AIR-Plus Bariatric Disposable Briefs, the Hi-Rise Bariatric Disposable Briefs and the regular XL Bariatric Disposable Brief.

The two other bariatric diapers we offer are made by Prevail, and they come in two sizes, A (sizes 62-73 inches) and B (up to 94 inches). We also offer the A size as a sample, to see if the fit works for you or your caree.

If you’re looking for pull-ups, there are three items we offer that are available in sizes up to 80 inches. The first of these is one of our best sellers, Prevail’s Extra Adult Pull-Up. These protective underwear come in five sizes, including the 2XL in 68 to 80 inches. That item is also available as a two-pack sample. Two other available items are both from Tranquility: the Premium DayTime Disposable Absorbent Underwear and the Premium OverNight Disposable Absorbent Underwear, both available in sizes that go up to 80 inches.

Spread the Word to End the Word Awareness Day

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 4, 2015 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

The word we’re talking about here is the R-word, “retard” or “retarded.” And those who are asking for pledges to stop using the word are families, celebrities, kids, all with or without special needs. The request is about respect: giving respect to everyone around you by no longer using that word, even when only used as slang. It’s a hurtful word no matter what the context. Even in a medical “diagnosis” or state law. That’s why organizations like r-word.org have been working to get this word replaced in medical and law books. Last year, the Supreme Court stopped using the term.

A lot of stories and fun photos have been shared on the above site, r-word.org and their Twitter page.Every year, Ellen from the blog lovethatmax.com writes an eloquent and often hilarious post about ending the word, and this year is no different.

The campaign was started in 2009 by the Special Olympics. This summer, the Special Olympics will be in Total Home Care Supplies’ area in Los Angeles!

Below, you’ll find a fun video about doing the “R-Word Stomp” that we retweeted to our Twitter page earlier today:

Series: Alzheimer’s in Other Countries

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 2, 2015 under Caregiver Corner | Read the First Comment

This is the second post in a series on Alzheimer’s disease in places beyond the borders of the United States.

Chidai: That is the term for dementia in China, where the brain disease is currently affecting about six million people. That’s a problem for any country, but in China, this news is particularly troubling: as life expectancy in the country increases, so will the dementia rates; because of the one-child policy, caring for both parents will be left up to working adult children; and the remoteness of many of the villages where the elderly live means lack of services.

This article from Bloomberg Business outlines many of these issues and introduces readers to 71-year-old Shi Anquan, caregiver to his wife who suffers from Alzheimer’s.

Hollister New Image Cut-to-Fit Convex Flextend Skin Barrier, with Tape: 14803, 14802, 14804

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on February 27, 2015 under Ostomy Care | Be the First to Comment

We’re taking another look into one of the ostomy items that we offer at TotalHomeCareSupplies.com. The Hollister New Image Cut-to-Fit Convex Flextend Skin Barrier, with Tape is special because of its convex shape, offering a better fit to those with stomas that are recessed, retracted or flush.

The convexity is ideal for tender, post-operative abdomens because it eliminates pressure on the area. Part of how it’s able to do this is the “floating flange,” which this item shares with the Hollister New Image 2pc Flextend Skin Barrier CTF. There are three sizes available: the 1 ¾ inch flange has a maximum barrier opening of 1 inch, the 2 ¼ inch flange has an opening of 1 ½ inch and the 2 ¾ inch flange has an opening of 2 inches. And once the wearer finds the perfect fit, the barrier protects the skin over extended wearing time from irritating discharge.

Before we finish up, let’s take a look at the reviews for this barrier:

“I have tried several brands of ostomy bags, and Hollister New Image Flextend is the only one that lasts more days. I have to change mine every 4 days. My output is liquid consistency due to my recent surgery and liquid diet. I have to use strip paste in addition to prevent leakages. Easy to use.”

“This product made my post-operation experience as easy as it could be, considering the worries I had about having a colostomy.”

Closer Look Series: Adult Diapers

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on February 26, 2015 under BladderMatters | Be the First to Comment

On many of our diaper descriptions, you may see words like, “cloth-back” or “zones.” We thought our customers might appreciate a closer look at the different words and phrases that are used to describe adult diapers.

Cloth-Like Outer Fabric
This is the material that makes up the “shell.” Do not worry that the back of a diaper isn’t plastic, or plastic-like – the majority of adult diapers on the market today do not use plastic shells, or backing, to make the diaper leak proof. Diapers are able to be leak-free due to their absorbent qualities; so, as long as the wearer has a good fit and the right absorbency, leaks should not be a worry. The pleasant qualities that the cloth-like outer fabric provides are less noise (no crinkle-factor), more comfort against the surrounding skin and a more breathable diaper. Those last two qualities help the wearer maintain healthier skin by keeping it dry and chafe-free.

Zones
The zones that are referred to in an adult diaper description are to let you know what each part of the diaper is supposed to do. Considering the anatomy of the adult, diapers will sometimes have “acquisition zones” either for liquid matter or fecal matter. “Zones” can also refer to the outside of the diaper where the fasteners can be placed (as some diapers have tabs that can just stick anywhere on the outside). There are also “breathable zones” where the diaper has less absorbency as a way of making sure your skin stays dry.

Stay tuned for more in our Closer Look series!