A Caregivers Guide to Incontinence Care

Maintaining dignity as a caregiver of a loved one

Becoming a caregiver for an elderly person is a huge undertaking that can be stressful and full of daily challenges. The requirements of the position are intensified if the elderly person you care for suffers from bowel incontinence. In order to properly care for this individual you must understand the requirements of the condition, as well as the products that are available to make your life easier. While caring for the person you must also understand that this is a medical condition that causes extreme embarrassment for the afflicted person, in most cases. Therefore providing care that helps maintain a sense of dignity is essential for providing superior care.

Your Duties when Caring for an Incontinent Individual
As a caregiver it will be your responsibility to provide everyday care necessities for the person. However, caring for an incontinent individual requires special duties. Some of the additional responsibilities you will have include the following: 

• Providing the needed incontinence supplies 

• Ensuing the person is changed regularly to prevent infection or discomfort 

• Cleaning up if there is a leak or accident 

• Providing discreet care and disposal for the condition

While this may not seem too bad, it is essential these duties are performed on a regular basis to ensure comfort of the elderly person. In most cases you will develop a care routine that fits both your needs and keeps you both comfortable with the situation.

Incontinence Supplies
There is a world of incontinence supplies available for purchase. Determining which fits your needs is essential in providing ultimate protection. Utilize the following steps to ensure you provide the proper incontinence supplies:

Step 1: Determine the degree of incontinence the person in your care suffers from. This will help determine what type of product you need to purchase. The person should fit into one level of incontinence: mild, moderate or severe.

Step 2: Once you know the degree of incontinence you must select the product you wish to use. Here is a simple guide:

• Mild Incontinence: Pads or liners (these will resemble the products used for menstruation) 

• Moderate Incontinence: Briefs (these are designed for active lifestyles and look and feel like traditional underwear) 

• Severe Incontinence: Adult diapers (there are several different sizes, styles and designs so a process of trial and error is often needed to determine what works best for you)

Keep in mind, these products will be offered in different sizes, which often reflects their capacity as well. If a person is severely incontinent going with a high capacity diaper is usually your best option. The capacity amount will usually be printed on the package in “cc” or “oz” for easy selection.

Step 3: Another incontinence supply you need for daily care. 

• Bed liners for overnight or bedridden protection

Call us.  We're here to help you.

The CareGiver Partnership is a national direct-to-consumer retailer of home healthcare products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, daily living aids, nutrition support and more. In its sixth year of providing products and services that help caregivers and loved ones maintain personal dignity, the company also offers an online library of more than 1,200 family caregiver resources and personal service by experts in caregiving. Call 1-800-985-1353 or visit online. 

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