Incontinence Pants and the NHS

dasntn

Registered User
May 21, 2014
29
0
North Devon
I think I have had a small success that I wanted to share.

My wife became incontinent about 9 months ago, and double incontinent soon after, so I started buying incontinence pants. Tena seem the best but cost around £1 each so have tried out various others.

I heard about the existence of continence teams (Bowel and Bladder clinic in our case) in the NHS so got a referral.They provided pads, not pants. We tried them but they were not great. Far more leaks, totally useless for bowel incontinence, so I drifted back to buying my own (but that costs a lots).

Phoned up the clinic to cancel the pads order, but by chance I said "You don't do pants, do you" - and the answer I got was "Only in exceptional circumstances". So a call with the nurse was arranged, and we had a discussion about it. She really did not want to provide pants - they can leave marks and dig in (really? That's an issue compared with everything else we suffer?) and be a trip hazard for people when pulling up (pads in mesh pants are worse).

In a moment of desperation I told her about a bowel movement that happened the previous week while my wife was wearing pads - (I decided to give them one more go) - the mess on the clothes, in the room, the hours to clean up etc. That seemed to do the trick, and the trial delivery of 3 pairs of Tena pants arrived today! (Only Normal absorbency, not Super or Plus, which is what I told them I used but it's a start!)
 

nae sporran

Registered User
Oct 29, 2014
9,213
0
Bristol
Well done @dasntn. My partner was given pull up pants straight away and they upgraded her to Super absorbent after the initial trial. Sorry you had more of a fight, but it is worth pushing for the best available when you think of the cost of buying them and the cost and difficulty for both of you in cleaning up the mess.
 

Am59

Registered User
Jan 18, 2020
31
0
I don't know how men's and women's pull up pants vary but I've found the Asda ones very good for my husband. I buy the night time ones in the large to.make it easier to pull them up and the daytime ones in medium so they're neater under trousers.
 

sadman67

New member
Nov 7, 2019
9
0
dasntn

Well done I had a similar experience and after 6 month my wife finally got the super absorbant pull ups as she was double incontinence, my argument was they cut down on the chances of UTI which ultimately safe the NHS money in hospital treatments

Sometimes its all about the small victories
 

PalSal

Registered User
Dec 4, 2011
972
0
Pratteln Switzerland
Victory....thanks sharing some good news. This humble and humbling experience of your win makes us all very happy. It is unbelievable what a effort you must make to win and make your life a little more tolerable. Good for your perseverance.
 

dasntn

Registered User
May 21, 2014
29
0
North Devon
Victory....thanks sharing some good news. This humble and humbling experience of your win makes us all very happy. It is unbelievable what a effort you must make to win and make your life a little more tolerable. Good for your perseverance.

Thanks everyone. It is strange how good some small wins can make you feel!
 

dasntn

Registered User
May 21, 2014
29
0
North Devon
Slightly smaller win than I thought - the NHS will supply up to 4 pads a day (we were on 4) but only 2 pants a day. Oh well, at least it halves the cost.
 

Lilac Blossom

Registered User
Oct 6, 2014
609
0
Scotland
When my husband needed to have pull ups we had to buy them as they are never supplied free here although pads are supplied. Friend told me that Home Bargains sell them for less than half the price of the well known brand.
 

Philbo

Registered User
Feb 28, 2017
853
0
Kent
It is disgusting that this is still a post code lottery. Here in Kent I was initially told the NHS incontinence team can only supply pads. This wouldn't have been any good for my wife but like others, I persevered and eventually got pull-ups - enough for 4 a day.

With preemptive toileting I managed to stay within this limit (varying between 2 a day and 5) and as you never want to delay restocking (they supply 3 months worth at a time), I built up a healthy reserve over the last few years.

Sadly, she passed away 2 weeks ago, following 4 months in a nursing home so I still have umpteen boxes in the loft. They don't seem to want them back and you are certainly not allowed to sell them (even if they did, it wouldn't seem right) so I am resorting to offering to give them to the home she was in plus another one nearby.

Surely there ought to be a national standard and process to not only ease people's lives but to save the NHS heaps of money?
 

PACH

New member
Feb 5, 2020
1
0
A gentleman I look after (although I'm not an official carer) has now become incontinent, and I have just bought him some pull up pants in Boots. I was not aware that he might get them on NHS, so thanks for this, I'll explore it, and also the cheaper ones in Asda. It really does affect his life and as I dont drive the trip to the cinema yesterday was fraught with problems for both of us.
 

Ferrit44

Registered User
Apr 1, 2020
31
0
80
Liverpool
I understand the cost of pull ups can prove a problem but if you’re the sole caregiver to your wife or husband they might be able to claim Attendance Allowance and that will soon be over a £100 a week if they need assistance through the night as well as during the day and that will more than cover any expenses for incontinence products
 

cobden 28

Registered User
Dec 15, 2017
193
0
I don't know how men's and women's pull up pants vary but I've found the Asda ones very good for my husband. I buy the night time ones in the large to.make it easier to pull them up and the daytime ones in medium so they're neater under trousers.
i don't have dementia but have had a stroke, which has left me with bladder weakness bordering on urinary incintinence. I use the women's Asda nightime incontinence pads and i've founf them the most effective of those i've tried. As good as Tena Lady but not as expensive.