Tag Archives: pull ups

What to Do When First Experiencing Incontinence

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

When a person becomes incontinent, even temporarily, it can be an alarming situation. Suddenly, they’re thrust into a world of pads, liners, adult diapers and trying to pick what works best for them. There’s new terms and new diagnoses. It can be overwhelming. But, armed with information, someone can become an expert quickly.

Firstly, if you have been experiencing either bladder or bowel incontinence without having talked to your doctor about it, you should make an appointment immediately. You may find it embarrassing to have to discuss your incontinence with another person, but it’s important to know that people do not just “become” incontinent. It is a symptom, not a disease. There is a reason why you are experiencing incontinence. Some of those reasons can be treated easily, some may be more permanent, others could signal a much more serious problem. So checking in with your doctor should be your first priority.

Once you have a reason why you’re incontinent (and hopefully know which type of incontinence you’re experiencing), then it’s time to look at products. If you’re experiencing light bladder leakage (LBL), then you may be able to just use a liner or a pad. If you have more bladder leakage than either of those items can handle, or you’re experiencing bowel leakage, we would recommend either adult briefs or protective underwear. To determine the perfect item or perfect fit, you might find samples helpful. At TotalHomeCareSupplies.com, we have samples available for many of our products. And each of those samples comes with a coupon to use on a future order.

Then it’s just a matter of figuring out a routine that works for you. You may find other articles on our blog helpful like, How to Pack an Incontinence Emergency Kit, Comparing Adult Diapers to Protective Underwear and Controlling Incontinence with Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises.

If you are not a new player when it comes to the incontinence games, what advice would you give to our newbies? We’d love to hear them in the comments!

Comparing Adult Diapers to Protective Underwear

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

While both adult diapers and protective underwear (also known as pull-ups) do a great job of keeping the user dry and leak-free, they differ in other ways, including how they’re worn and more. Let’s explore the differences so you can discover what will work best for yourself or your caree.

	Adult Diapers	Protective Underwear
Keeps the user dry	✔	✔
Leak-free	✔	✔
Can put on without the removal of pants/shoes	✔
Small and medium sizes (20 inches to 79 inches in waist size)	✔	✔
Larger sizes (over 80 inches in waist size)	✔
Maximum overnight absorbency	✔
Cloth-like material for the outer shell	✔	✔
Gender-specific		✔
Can be easily disposed of (either by removing the tabs or ripping the sides apart)	✔	✔
Look more like regular underwear		✔
Slimmer profile		✔
Soft, stretchy sides	✔	✔

For those looking for something that provides the look and feel of underwear with the adjustability of an adult brief, try Prevail’s Adjustable Underwear: these have the close fit and slim line of a pull-up, but also have Easy Lock Fasteners (ELF)’s that makes it easier to put on and take off the underwear. And the fasteners are non-sticky, so there’s never any worry of the tabs sticking to items other than the underwear.

The most important thing to keeping leak-free in either a pull-up or an adult diaper is to have the right fit. For Prevail products, you can consult their Sizing Guide.

Back to School

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on August 13, 2014 under BladderMatters | Be the First to Comment

Back to school is a significant time, even for those without kids (more traffic on the roads!). But for parents and especially Sandwich Caregivers out there, it can be both a time of relief and of added on stress.

The return to school can mean a more predictable schedule. Your child/children are at a place until a certain time every day, meaning you can plan for when to be at work or caregiving for parents. Many parents celebrate this time of year, and we can bet you’re probably one of them.

But with a new school year can come with new friends and new challenges. If you’re living at home with both your children and your parent or parents, children may be reluctant to bring friends over. Try and understand where this embarrassment is coming from. Talk with them, and, if possible, be around when and if those friends do come to visit.

Additionally, new friends might mean a sleepover. And if your child has any bladder issues, dealing with any kind of protective underwear can be a potential nightmare. Luckily, nighttime pullups have come a long way. Sleep Overs provide discreet protection for children weighing between 45 and 145 pounds. Their cloth-like outer fabric means no suspicious rustling. If you’d like to try before you buy, you can find samples here.

Congrats from TotalHomeCareSupplies.com on getting through the hot summer. And good luck with a productive, fun and safe new school year!