The Alzheimer’s-Incontinence Relationship and Tips for Coping



by Dianna Malkowski, Physician Assistant & Nutritionist

The Obama administration last week outlined the National Alzheimer’s Plan, a call for scientists to find ways to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025, as reported by CBS News. Incontinence is often a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease and there are ways to manage the condition while we wait for treatment options.

The CareGiver Partnership an Expert Source for ‘Senior Industry Insider’


By Lynn Wilson, Co-Founder of The CareGiver Partnership
Lynn Wilson
The CareGiver Partnership has been selected to guest author a series of three articles for "Senior Industry Insider," a monthly newsletter for professionals in the senior living industry. It's published by RetirementHomes.com, an online guide to retirement living. My first in the series published Jan. 17, with articles to follow in February and March.

NEW! Enhancing Normalcy and Dignity with Disposable Boxers from Prevail


Men with incontinence want to live a normal, dignified lifestyle
Dealing with incontinence problems can be difficult enough as a man, having to sacrifice your favorite boxer style underwear for a pull-on style incontinence product is just too much. It can mess with a man’s dignity, and be a real blow to their pride. Fortunately, Prevail understood this need, and their research and development team went to work creating disposable boxers. Now, for the first time ever, you can manage your incontinence in style with a pull on underwear that is in a boxer style.

Why Men Love New Boxer Style Disposable Pull-On Underwear

Home care products
that help maintain dignity
There is a new incontinence product.  The CareGiver Partnership is the first to offer these.  These pull on underwear in a boxer style are offering men suffering from incontinence a chance to regain dignity and normalcy in their life.  Here's why...

New! Boxer Style Disposable Underwear For Men

Announcing New Prevail Boxers - Disposable Underwear for Men With Incontinence

Only you will know you're not wearing ordinary boxer shorts
Just because incontinence is not uncommon, does not make it any less embarrassing for men who suffer from it. Many men find it emasculating to wear pull on underwear, and as a result, avoid places like club locker rooms, gyms, and other places or people who might notice their adult incontinence underwear. Many men are looking for solutions, ways to maintain dignity while handling their incontinence problems.

Adult Diapers For Men - Incontinence is Not Just a Woman's Issue

Selecting the right products help manage incontinence.
Many people think that incontinence is an issue that only women or elderly individuals will deal with but the truth is that incontinence can happen at any time to anyone.

It is estimated that about 5 million men suffer from incontinence, which is a pretty high number! Fortunately there are quality incontinence products for men that can make dealing with incontinence much easier. Use the following product finder tool to help you find products that are designed specifically for your body type and even for your budget: http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/incontinence-product-finder/.

Adult Cloth Diapers: Preparing for an Outing While Using Them

Cloth Diapers are cost effective and environmentally friendly.
If you have incontinence you know how embarrassing it can be to deal with when you are in public.

Incontinence makes it hard for you to do a lot of things that you used to do because of the fear of having an incontinence episode. It is important that you use the right type of incontinence products in order to make managing incontinence easier. Adult cloth diapers are one of the products that you might consider using as they are comfortable and form fitting. They can easily protect you from embarrassment when you are out in public as they will capture any of the urine that does leak out.

Adult Diapers and Incontinence Supplies

Adult diapers are becoming more
and more like regular underwear

Adult diapers are sometimes necessary if wearing a panty shield is not enough which is usually the case if you are having problems with urinary leakage from your underwear.

Many of the adult diapers out there may not be able to hold in the urine and some people have issues with it leaking out of the sides of their underwear. This is why it is so important to shop for the right type of incontinence products to help you prevent urinary leakage from occurring: http://caregiverpartnership.com/incontinence-product-finder/.

Individuals that have a catheter inserted to help collect urine may end up finding that you often will not get any type of relief from a panty shield. Shopping for adult diapers and other incontinence supplies will be able to help you improve your condition and prevent yourself from having leakage throughout the day that can be noticeable by other individuals.

Boxer-Style Pull-On Underwear for Incontinence Now Available for Preorder


by Lynn Wilson, Co-Founder of The CareGiver Partnership

New Prevail Boxers for Men
The CareGiver Partnership now is taking preorders for Prevail Boxers for Men , a first-of-its-kind product for men managing incontinence. The new Prevail pull-on underwear offers maximum absorbency in a clothlike boxer.

Prevail Boxers for Men offer the convenience of pull-on underwear, but look like regular boxer-style underwear, for enhanced normalcy and dignity. Men will like the sporty style, masculine print, clothlike fabric and absorbency where it’s most needed.

Available in sizes medium and large/extra large and in cases of 48 and 40, limited quantities will be available for shipping in February. When this new product is available, customers of The CareGiver Partnership who preorder will be notified, and also can request a sample pack of two boxers and pay only postage and handling.

The benefits of shopping with The CareGiver Partnership apply to Prevail Boxers for Men orders: free doorstep delivery for orders over $50, personalized customer service, guaranteed product satisfaction, and the option to set up convenient automatically scheduled home delivery.

Learn more about Prevail Boxers for Men and how to preorder. Prevail, the No. 1 selling brand of incontinence products in North America, is used in more long-term care facilities than any other brand because of the products’ combination of absorbency, fit, protection, skin health and price.

Lynn Wilson founded The CareGiver Partnership based on her experience in caring for loved ones as well as providing the highest level of customer service. She takes pride in offering personalized service that helps her customers find the best solutions for their individual needs. Now that her children are grown, Lynn enjoys spending time with her granddaughter while also helping to care for her mom. To find out how The CareGiver Partnership can serve you, call 1-800-985-1353 M-F 9-4 CST.

Adult Cloth Diapers: How to Effectively Clean Them

Adult cloth diapers cost less,
but are less convenient
When you use adult cloth diapers to manage your incontinence problems you have to worry about how to wash the diapers along with other things like how to keep them sanitary.

Some people will toss them into the wash with other clothes where other people prefer to wash then in the sink soon after they change out their adult diapers. It is important that you do understand that the cloth diapers will require more work on your part than what you deal with when you use the disposable adult diapers that you can toss right into the trash bin.

Activities for Seniors with Dementia

Activities help improve cognitive function in seniors with Dementia.
One of the biggest challenges for caregivers who are caring for seniors with dementia is coming up with activities for the person in their care. 

It can be tempting to just leave the person with dementia alone but research has shown that providing activities can help that person keep and use what cognitive function they still have and slow down the progression of the disease. The good news is that there are tips that can help you come up with meaningful activities. Here are some activities for seniors with dementia-

A Buyer's Guide to Adult Incontinence Products

Try The Incontinence Product Finder Tool
Incontinence is a problem that has many different challenges. This can lead to many different questions. This is especially true if you are a caregiver who is trying to help an elderly loved one manage their incontinence. Educating yourself about incontinence is the best way to deal with it. One of the biggest questions and concerns is about what type of incontinence products to use. The good news is that there is a lot of information that is available. Here is a buyer’s guide to choosing adult incontinence products.

Adult Plastic Pants


Trying samples of Adult Plastic Pants
can help you find the best fit!
With all the incontinence supplies on the market, how can you find one that will work right for you? The best way to find urinary incontinence products that you like is to try out a few samples.

You will need to consider the fit of the incontinence underwear. Fit is important as it gives you comfort but also guarantees that you will not have leakage to worry about. Cost is another thing to consider as the disposable incontinence underwear can become expensive in a hurry depending upon the frequency of your incontinence episodes.

Include Kegel Exercises in Your 2012 Exercise Routine

Dianna Malkowski - PA-C, Nutritionist
by Dianna Malkowski, Physician Assistant & Nutritionist
 
As the new year brings new fitness goals, we’re reminding those concerned with bladder control to include Kegel exercises. Weak pelvic muscles — which can be the result of childbirth, prostate surgery or aging — can be strengthened through daily practice of Kegels.

Weakened pelvic muscles can lead to incontinence, but pelvic muscles, like other muscles, can be strengthened through exercise. Incorporating daily Kegel exercises into a workout plan is a nonsurgical way to manage urinary incontinence. Developed by Arnold H. Kegel, M.D., F.A.C.S., as a way to help women regain bladder control after giving birth, Kegels have been used since to improve urethral and rectal sphincter control in people of all ages.

Kegel exercises not only help strengthen the muscles that determine bladder control, but they can done discreetly and a set takes fewer than five minutes. Stopping urine midstream on the toilet is a way to find the correct muscles to contract for Kegels, but Kegels should not be done while urinating. After emptying the bladder, Kegels can be practiced lying down, sitting or standing.

Squeeze the pelvic floor muscles and hold for a count of 10 while continuing to breathe normally, then relax muscles for a count of 10. Repeat for a total of 10 exercises, and do three sets per day, in the morning, afternoon and evening. If you have experienced nerve damage, ask your health care practitioner to examine you during Kegels to check that you’re doing them correctly.

To see results, it’s important to do Kegels three times per day, every day, and it may take six weeks or longer to notice improvement in bladder control. In the meantime, incontinence can be managed with attention to diet, incontinence products and supplies, and proper skin care.

Read more about exercise and incontinence on The CareGiver Partnership blog.


Dianna Malkowski is a Board Certified Physician Assistant and Mayo Clinic trained nutritionist specializing in diabetes, cancer, wound healing, therapeutic diets and nutrition support. She serves on the board of professional advisors for The CareGiver Partnership and enjoys working with patients and caregivers alike. Ask Dianna a question.

Top 10 Read Articles in 2011 from The CareGiver Partnership


The following top 10 articles were the most highly read by caregivers and their loved ones in 2011.

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