A Discreet New Product for Accidental Bowel Leakage

Manage your ABL with the Butterfly line of incontinence products.

You can be discreet... and comfortable with accidental bowel leakage

For most adults the idea of losing control of their bladder or especially their bowels brings on feelings of shame and embarrassment. While the intimate nature of these issues certainly is private there is no need to feel bad if you begin experiencing symptoms of accidental bowel leakage. This type of incontinence affects nearly 5 million adults in the United States and millions more worldwide.

Accidental bowel leakage otherwise known as ABL is when the individual loses some or complete control of the muscles surrounding the area which controls bowel elimination. This can range from mild symptoms to a complete loss of control. There are many different medical reasons why you may be experiencing fecal incontinence so it is extremely important you seek out medical attention if you are having any symptoms of ABL. Your healthcare professional will help you diagnose and treat your symptoms and may be able to give you management strategies while treatment is taking place.

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Men's Butterfly Pads for Accidental Bowel Leakage

Butterfly Body Liners for men can help you
or the man in your life manage symptoms of ABL

There is an answer now for accidental bowel leakage. 

Many people describe feelings of helplessness and being overwhelmed when they first begin experiencing accidental bowel leakage also known as ABL. They feel like they must be the only one having this issue and they are often to embarrassed to share it with their doctor or other healthcare professionals. However, if you are experiencing ABL then you may be surprised to learn studies estimate there are several million people who are dealing with bowel incontinence as well. It is important to know you are not alone and there are several things you can do to help you manage your fecal incontinence symptoms.

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Incontinence Products for Men

It's not just a woman's issue.

When people think of incontinence they automatically assume this is only an issue for women. While the majority of people with incontinence are female it is estimated nearly 5 million men in the United States are dealing with some form of incontinence. 

Causes of male incontinence. The causes for this can vary widely. Studies indicate the number one cause of male incontinence is prostate problems. This can be a result of an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer. Many men experience incontinence after the surgical removal of the prostate to treat cancer. Other causes of male incontinence can include: head injury, spinal cord injury, neurological diseases, tumors (both cancerous and benign), infections, alcohol, medications and emotional illnesses. It is important to note while aging makes it more likely to experience incontinence it usually is not the sole reason for having symptoms of incontinence.

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Sexual Desire, the Sexes and the FDA

Flibanserin, "the little pink pill" 

Guest post by Elaine M. Decker, social artist and columnist

I’ve recently begun watching PBS's To The Contrary with Bonnie Erbe on Sundays after the political talk shows. Erbe often has provocative topics and interesting female guests. One episode that caught my attention highlighted an example of sexual discrimination at the FDA. The panel discussed a new drug, Flibanserin, seeking FDA approval. It’s designed to treat female sexual desire dysfunction, or Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder as the medical community labels it.

Do not confuse this problem with Hyperactive SDD, aka nymphomania, for which the male-dominated pharmaceutical companies appear to have no inclination to research corrective medication. Hypoactive SDD (or simply HSDD from here forward) is commonly experienced by women of a certain age, especially those who are menopausal, but there are other causes as well. Let’s face it. Menopausal women have nothing on female caregivers when it comes to a reason to lose your sex drive.

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Easy Tips for Moving and Improving at Any Age

by Dianna Malkowski, Physician Assistant and Registered Dietitian

In recognition of National Senior Health & Fitness Day on May 27, here are a few easy ways to move and improve at any age and ability.

National Senior Health & Fitness Day is May 27, and this year’s theme is “If You Keep Moving ... You’ll Keep Improving!” The common goal for this day is to help keep older Americans healthy and fit, and there are simple ways anyone can move and improve at any age.

Exercise helps relieve stress, strengthens muscles, and even helps manage high blood pressure, diabetes and other conditions. And staying active is just as important for caregivers. With the challenging roles they fill, staying happy and healthy makes them better caregivers. A regular exercise program is more effective when seniors and caregivers also follow healthy eating habits, stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep, and find ways to manage stress.

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Making Your Home Wheelchair/Walker/Scooter Friendly

Helpful tips to make your home wheelchair accessible.

In this post, you’ll learn how each area of the home should be modified to accommodate a wheelchair.

This helpful graphic brings to life those areas that may need attention. This is courtesy of KD Smart Chair, manufacturer of lightweight folding power wheelchairs.

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Apple's New Homekit and Watch Can Help You Care for Your Loved One

Are we moving closer to having a StarTrek Tricoder? 

Guest Post by Beth Kelly

Old age brings with it a variety of health concerns and difficulties, such as the necessity to frequently take prescription meds and reduced personal mobility. Many of the elderly must rely upon family members or other caregivers to help them with their daily lives — especially caregivers who work full-time. 

This situation may significantly change in the coming years because of developments that are taking place in health care apps and the “Internet of Things.” New hardware and software solutions are poised to make it easier for seniors to monitor and attend to their own health, reducing the amount of involvement needed from a loved one. No one wants to feel dependent. Its all about maintaining ones dignity.

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Sample Prevail Incontinence Products- Try Before You Buy

3 reasons why Prevail might be the right choice
for your incontinence needs

You can prevail

Many people report feelings of helplessness when they are first diagnosed with incontinence. They feel overwhelmed by the number of decisions they need to make as well as the effort it takes to manage their symptoms on a day to day basis. This often leads to individuals giving up the things they love most like working, socializing and even traveling. The good news is this is no longer necessary. Today, there are more options than ever before when it comes to managing your incontinence symptoms. Today there are a wide variety of choices in incontinence products to help you to manage your symptoms and be able to keep on doing the things you love.

However, with all the choices comes confusion and consumers are very confused about which incontinence products will work best for them or a loved one. In a recent study, Kimberly-Clark, makers of Depend and Poise brands, discovered those buying incontinence products for the first time, waste $130 on average in trial and error mode. That’s about 10 bags of products which can’t be returned, once opened. This means consumers are often stuck with an incontinence product that doesn’t provide them with the highest levels of protection against leakage and accidents.

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Samples of SureCare Protective Underwear to Try Before You Buy

SureCare can help you effectively manage the incontinence
of a loved one in your care. 

I was helping Mom the best I could...

When my mother became ill and I became her caregiver, I was unaware of what I really needed for her. When it was evident she could no longer live alone I moved in to help. While her illness was manageable the incontinence symptoms that were brought on by it were not. I wasn’t sure what to do but I needed something which was easy for her to wear and easy for me to change, as well as underpads which could help protect her bed and chair. I searched my local stores and couldn’t find the answer and there seemed to be no one who worked there who could provide me with the guidance I needed.

It can be overwhelming to find the right incontinence product to meet your needs or for that of an elderly family member in your care. Consumers are very confused about which incontinence products will work best for them or a loved one. In a recent study, Kimberly-Clark, makers of Depend and Poise brands, discovered those buying incontinence products for the first time, waste $130 on average in trial and error mode. That’s about 10 bags of products which can’t be returned, once opened. This means consumers are often stuck with an incontinence product that doesn’t provide them with the highest levels of protection against leakage and accidents.

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Money-Saving Tips for Caregivers of Alzheimer's Patients

Three tips to help the Alzheimer's patient caregiver save money. 

Taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia can result in significant family debt. Because every little bit of savings helps, here are tips worth checking into.
Family members taking care of loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia may spend upwards of $20,000 annually in out-of-pocket costs, according to a Caring.com report. Out-of-pocket costs include assisted living, medications, medical bills, professional in-home care, transportation, incontinence supplies, and wandering products such as alarms.

Bladder and bowel incontinence often is a symptom of Alzheimer’s and products can be a sizable expense. Because Alzheimer’s is a neurological disease, patients often have trouble recognizing physical urges or remembering where a bathroom is located. Certain medications also can relax the bladder muscles or cause increased urination.

With 22 percent of family caregivers saying Alzheimer’s or dementia has put them in debt, according to the report, it’s important to cut costs where possible. Here are three ideas worth checking into.

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Sample Always Discreet Incontinence Products- Try Before You Buy

Always discreet may be the right choice for your incontinence needs.

When you don’t want anyone to know

For many people when they first begin having symptoms of incontinence they feel an overwhelming sense of embarrassment and even shame. Because of the intimate nature of this bodily function they feel like there is nothing that can help them deal with this in a manner which preserves their dignity and sense of self. This often leads to many people isolating themselves, not even telling their doctor and giving up the activities they enjoy the most. Today, there is no need for this to happen. The topic of incontinence is now more widely discussed, healthcare professionals are understanding this is a medical problem and there are more ways than ever for you to manage your incontinence in a comfortable and discreet manner.

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Get a Sample of Poise Incontinence Products- Try Before You Buy

The Poise line of incontinence pads has over 20 different choices.

Staying poised...

Just before Sally reached her 50th birthday she began to notice some slight bladder leakage. At first it wasn’t much but then she realized she was having to change her clothes to deal with the wetness and resulting odor. At first she tried using period pads but they failed to hold the moisture and keep her feeling comfortable and dry. She knew her urinary leakage wasn’t enough to use a full incontinence undergarment but what would be the answer? After doing some research she found she could use incontinence pads to keep her dry and manage her incontinence with discretion.

For some women with incontinence the problem is not a complete loss of bladder or bowel control but rather some annoying leakage - ‘this thing that just happens’. This often occurs from stress incontinence which can be a result of trauma which happened during pregnancy and childbirth.  They don’t need an incontinence undergarment but rather something to keep them comfortable and dry while helping them remain discreet. However, even if you are looking only for incontinence pads it can be overwhelming to find the right one for your specific needs. Just the Poise line has over 20 different choices.

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Get a Sample of TENA Incontinence Products – Try Before You Buy

Incontinence is an issue for people of all ages,
both genders and varying health status. 

When you need more

For many years healthcare professionals and the public at large thought incontinence was all the same. People who had this issue to deal with were old, ill, and possibly bedridden. Many doctors assumed incontinence was simply a byproduct of aging and any type of incontinence supplies would work for their patients. Today, both consumers and healthcare professionals understand not all incontinence is the same. This is an issue for people of all ages, both genders and varying health status. However, if you are one of these people then finding the right incontinence product to meet your specific needs can be challenging.

The struggle to find the right incontinence products is not unique. Consumers are very confused about which incontinence products will work best for them or a loved one. In a recent study, Kimberly-Clark, makers of Depend and Poise brands, discovered those buying incontinence products for the first time, waste $130 on average in trial and error mode. That’s about 10 bags of products which can’t be returned, once opened. This means consumers are often stuck with an incontinence product that doesn’t provide them with the highest levels of protection against leakage and accidents.

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Get a Sample of Depend Incontinence Products- Try Before You Buy

The CareGiver Partnership offers an incontinence sample service
to help you avoid costly trial and error mistakes. 

How do you know which Depend incontinence product is best for you?

When Marsha first went to the store to buy incontinence products, she couldn't believe all the choices there were. It seemed nearly impossible to find the right one! The pharmacist was too busy filling prescriptions and the 18-year old stock clerk didn't know anything about the products. Feeling frustrated she left and the store empty handed and went home so she could research online. She was surprised when she discovered the same situation. In fact online stores tended to offer even more choices making it even more confusing. She felt overwhelmed and unsure as to how to choose an incontinence product to meet her needs.

Marsha’s struggle to find the right incontinence products is not unique. Consumers are very confused about which incontinence products will work best for them or a loved one. In a recent study, Kimberly-Clark, makers of Depend and Poise brands, discovered those buying incontinence products for the first time, waste $130 on average in trial and error mode. That’s about 10 bags of products which can’t be returned, once opened. This means consumers are often stuck with an incontinence product that doesn't provide them with the highest levels of protection against leakage and accidents.

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Enter to Win More Free Home Health Care Products

The CareGiver Partnership, is giving away six skin care products and a case of absorbent underwear. Enter for a chance to win!

To continue our mission of assisting seniors and caregivers through our “Helping You Get On With Life” monthly sweepstakes, we’re giving away two prizes:

Six 14-oz. jars of Lantiseptic Daily Care Skin Protectant — Multipurpose formula moisturizes and protects against irritation and skin breakdown. Ideal for those managing incontinence, it provides a moisture barrier and supports the body’s natural healing process. This prize, valued at more than $95, also is great for frequent hand washers!

Case of Attends Pull-On Underwear — With 30 years of providing solutions for light to severe urinary and fecal incontinence, Attends offers products to satisfy all sizing and lifestyle needs. The winner will receive an entire case of Attends underwear in any size and absorbency, including extra, super plus and overnight, valued at up to $72.99.

For a chance to win this month’s prize package, participants need only e-mail info@caregiverpartnership.com or mail a short statement explaining why the prize would be useful to him or her or a loved one. We will accept entries for this prize through May 31, 2015, and will notify the drawing winner the first week of June. Visit the “Helping You Get On With Life” sweepstakes page for details!

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How to Choose The Right Incontinence Products For Your Needs

Save time, money and frustration.

What To Do Now?

When I was first diagnosed with incontinence I was both relieved and overwhelmed. Now that I knew my incontinence had a medical reason and could be treated I was relieved. However, this still meant I needed a strategy to help me manage my symptoms while the treatment was happening. After talking to my doctor I knew the first step was finding the right incontinence products. However, when I started to look at all of the options I felt more stressed than relieved. There were so many brands, types and sytles, sizes and absorbencies. What if I choose the wrong one? I needed help so I went to the store. I discovered that the pharmacist really didn’t know much and she was way to busy with customers to be able to get out from behind the counter. The only person close to the isle was an 18 year old looking stock boy. I wasn’t about to ask him. I wondered if there really was an answer to my situation and how would I find it?

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How To Make Sure Caregivers Are Providing Your Loved One the Dignified Care They Deserve

The CareGiver Partnership recommends Penrose Senior Care Auditing

Studies show one of the main issues for caregivers who are providing care for an elderly loved one is the feeling of being alone. Caregiving in whatever form can be an isolating experience. However, you may be surprised to learn nearly 29% of the U.S. population report spending an average of 20 hours per week caring for a loved one. This means if you are a caregiver for a senior you are certainly not alone!

Caregiving for seniors has changed dramatically within the last 50 years. It used to be families were able to take an elderly loved one into their home to provide care. But the reality of two income families and large geographical distances between family members, means this is not always possible. Often times many family members must turn to assisted living and senior care centers for the senior in their life. Or they may have to hire a company to provide care in the home. While this can certainly be a viable and safe option, many family members worry that they are making the right choice after hearing about the stories which fill the news about elder abuse and neglect. To address this growing need, there is a new service which can help you to make sure Grandma or Grandpa or any loved one is being taken care of in the way you expect. The use of a senior care auditor can help to make sure this happens whether you live down the street or across the country.

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