Disposable incontinence pants

[Sleepy Head]

My husband's CH has asked me to provide disposable incontinence pants for him. They don't seem to be available on the NHS and at the rate they're using them, which is three a day, it's going to cost me about £800 per year. It's costing over £900 a week for the home and I'd imagined this sort of thing would be covered in the fees. Is this how care homes usually operate?

 

[Beate]

Who says they are not available on the NHS? We made an appointment with the Continence Service who not only prescribed medication but a certain amount of disposable incontinence pants - I think it equates to two a day which isn't enough but helps enormously.

 

[Raggedrobin]

I was told by our local continence people that they are not available on the NHS in our area.
The care home also asked if we would pay for them. This seems to be the norm, if you want them you have to pay for them? They do seem to work better in some instances than the normal type, I am considering getting them for mum at night.

 

[Grace L]

Hello Sleepy Head ,
Just a quick reply until someone comes along with a solution for you.

At home, my husband was given initially incontinence pads, medium for day-wear and larger for night time.

I fought (and it was a fight) to get incontinence pants.
These were supplied by the NHS, but they keep quiet about it, and you have to keep on at them.
For some reason, you only get 3 a day. I don't know who decided 3 was enough

For a care home to say they wont supply them is very wrong, in my opinion.
I would have thought, if the NHS are able to supply them when you are living at home,
the same should apply for when you move into a care home.

 

[Beate]

Are you saying this is a postcode lottery? That's shameful.

 

[jeany123]

What’s available on the NHS varies throughout the country. Each primary care trust (PCT) has its own contract to supply incontinence products and its own eligibility criteria,

in our area they supply pads but not pullup pants,

 

[Grace L]

It does seem like a postcode lottery

I'm a widow now, but when we got the pads / pants, it was a fight, and I did not give up.

We had a wonderful District Incontinence Nurse, who came out on a regular basic and did his bladder scan. She really helped us.


I even had the Urologist at the Hospital say they (the NHS) could teach me to catheterise my husband.
I was expected to do this several times a day
The NHS were prepared to give me all the equipment etc to do this !!

I argued all I/WE want is the pull-ups, and why would the NHS spend 10x the amount on catheter equipment.
If felt like ages, but I stood my ground and won

 

[VickyG]

My husband's CH has asked me to provide disposable incontinence pants for him. They don't seem to be available on the NHS and at the rate they're using them, which is three a day, it's going to cost me about £800 per year. It's costing over £900 a week for the home and I'd imagined this sort of thing would be covered in the fees. Is this how care homes usually operate?

Hi Sleepy Head
I've never heard of NOT being able to have incontinence aids / pads on the NHS ? I would ask for the continence nurse / district nurse to go in and asses your hubby for them. Can i ask, is your hubby self funding at his home ? I know of residents who have qualified for NHS funding for pads whilst self funding for their care.
I can tell you now, they USUALLY allocate 3x day pads, and 1 x night pad. These can be slip in pads or pull up type pants. There's also the 'nappy' type pad ( horrible i know - the term 'nappy' ), with sticky tabs that keep everything in place, these are actually usually cheaper than the pull up type. There is also a range of cleansers and creams ( usually prescribed through the continence nurse, that can be used alongside pads ) as individuals who use incontinence pads, at some point end up with moisture lesions / and or pressure sores. It is expensive stuff, but essential in my estimation.
Have a word with the District / incontinence nurse, you have to keep on at them i'm afraid, as they say, those that shout loudest and all that !
Good luck and let us know the outcome.

 

[Grace L]

Just a thought....

If the Care Home are prepared to supply the pads (and knickers that go with them) for FREE,
find out how much this contribution is.....
Then suggest you are allocated that amount for your husbands use, and use this money to put towards
the cost of the pull ups .
It should significantly reduce your contribution ....

 

[Raggedrobin]

i think Sleepy Head's situation could be like mine, as a self funder, the pads are supplied to the care home for mum by the nhs, but just not the pull up pant types, depending on the area. Our local incontinence nurse says they are cutting down so much that you also can no longer get mini pads, which are for people who have minor incontinence, so they are cutting costs at both ends of the continence thing.

I understand that it is normal for care homes to supply pads, but this may be via the nhs and again may not include pull up pants.

 

[LYN T]

My Husband has always had his protection supplied by his CH. I've never been asked to pay. However he doesn't have pull-ups. (I used these when Pete was at home and they were useless as he could take them off too easily). The CH uses the ones that secure at the sides with tape. The carers pull his own underwear over the top of them in an attempt to show him some dignity.

Take care

Lyn T

 

[Jessbow]

My husband's CH has asked me to provide disposable incontinence pants for him. They don't seem to be available on the NHS and at the rate they're using them, which is three a day, it's going to cost me about £800 per year. It's costing over £900 a week for the home and I'd imagined this sort of thing would be covered in the fees. Is this how care homes usually operate?

Mums home provided pads not pull up Pants.
at £800 per week I'd would have wondered why inco products were not provided, although not nessesarily that type I choose.

 

[Sleepy Head]

Incontinence pants - thank you

Thank you all so much for your replies and for your encouragement to fight for the pants. It does look like something of a postcode lottery but I'll investigate further. One difficulty is that my husband is now under a different GP, consultant and CPN since moving into the CH so it's starting from scratch, as I don't have a relationship with any of them.

 

[VickyG]

Thank you all so much for your replies and for your encouragement to fight for the pants. It does look like something of a postcode lottery but I'll investigate further. One difficulty is that my husband is now under a different GP, consultant and CPN since moving into the CH so it's starting from scratch, as I don't have a relationship with any of them.

Hi again,
The sooner you get the ball rolling, the better as it does take a while to sort. Don't let anyone fob you off, and yes sometimes it's easier to not fight for things, but if someones entitled to something, then why not ! Good luck and let us know how you get on. Fingers are firmly crossed for you x

 

[copsham]

It sounds like you will need a really strong argument for pants as opposed to pads from the local incontinence service. Be factually very clear with info from the CH ie are they pulled off, fall off etc and the implications are ...

If the incontinence service dont agree I think £800 per year out of £41,000 per year is not too excessive for the CH

Goodluck