Care home : toileting concerns

andrean

Registered User
Jul 5, 2011
88
0
hastings
Mum has recently gone into a care home. Dad, after three months of endless phone calls to the health centre, has finally taken delivery of three large boxes of incontinence pants, which he's told have to last mum to october (seems outrageous that you can pay £700/wk for care AND have to supply the incontinence stuff, but that's another issue) - this works out, according to him, at 2.18 pairs/day.

When she was at home, mum was getting through about 2-3 pairs a day. She would never express the need to go to the loo, and if asked would always say she didn't want to go - the only way to keep her mostly dry was to simply state that it was time to go to the toilet, and she'd go along and do so, with help.

In the care home, she is now going through 10 pairs of pants a day. It seems to me that this can only be because she's not being taken to the loo on a regular basis (she has also developed a habit of going round drinking other people's tea, which no doubt doesn't help the situation). The care home staff keep saying they'll see to it, make sure she's taken to the loo regularly, but it just doesn't seem to happen - they seem to just wait until she's wet and then change her (which one would think would cause more work for them, but what do I know?)

Obviously this is not a good situation: first of all, mum sitting around wet all day and therefore potentially at risk of a UTI (not to mention the unpleasantness of being wet, although it's possible mum doesn't notice); and secondly, at this rate, she'll run out of pants in a matter of weeks, and then dad will be forced to supply more - and since they cost about a pound a pair, 10 a day would equate to £70 a week just on pads, which is clearly completely unacceptable on top of the care home fees.

Has anyone else had this situation? Any advice on how to deal with it beyond going on and on at the staff?
 

Jessbow

Registered User
Mar 1, 2013
5,680
0
Midlands
I'd be inclined to buy some washable ones, and write her name right across the backside in BIG letters. if they are changing her as often as that , she'll not get a UTI.

ask if they actually sit her on when they take her- if they do that many changes they must spend all day toileting

Unless ghe doesa huge amount of urine, if they take her that often, smaller pads would suffice rather than pull ups

How do you mange to get pull ups? we cant get them supplied for love nor money
 
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LYN T

Registered User
Aug 30, 2012
6,958
0
Brixham Devon
Hi. My Husband is in a CH and is doubly incontinent. His CH provides all protection. Is it usual that a resident has to provide their own?
 

andrean

Registered User
Jul 5, 2011
88
0
hastings
In reply to Jessbow, we used to use pads rather than pull ups but when mum developed double incontinence, we had to switch to pull ups.

Whether they're supplied by the district nurse, the care home, or not at all, seems entirely random. Mum lives in Kent so perhaps the health authority there has a policy of supplying them (if you are prepared to spend several months ringing up several times a week to remind them),
 

garnuft

Registered User
Sep 7, 2012
6,585
0
I am confused...
The care home charge is £700 per week and your Dad has to supply incontinence pads?
 

garnuft

Registered User
Sep 7, 2012
6,585
0
Ah...read it properly:eek:
They need to be taking/encouraging Mum to go to the toilet more and need to be told if it doesn't happen, they will have to bear the cost of extra incontinence aids.
 

grobertson62

Registered User
Mar 7, 2011
581
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Sheffield
Dad got pullups on prescription from the incontinence nurse. No issues
I would check it out further.. We never had to pay extra to the nh even at those times of extreme emergency shall we say
I would seek clarification
 

andrean

Registered User
Jul 5, 2011
88
0
hastings
grobertson 62: when you say 'got them on prescription' do you mean got a repeat prescription that could be used as necessary? Dad got a whole load from the district nurse (ie he didn't have to pay for them) but the issue is that they allow for 2 a day whilst the care home is using up to 10.

Garnuft: I like the idea of telling the care home they have to bear the cost of the extra pants if they don't take mum to the toilet often enough, but how could you make them do that? Not sure what would happen if dad simply ran out and didn't provide any more.
 

starryuk

Registered User
Nov 8, 2012
1,323
0
Hi all,
This is confusing me.

First thought: They must be very vigilant to be checking your mum 10 times a day. They must take her to the loo 10 times to do it. If they take her to the loo that regularly...it doesn't make sense to me.

Second thought: Even very vigilant mothers with very young babies would be hard pressed to get through 10 nappies a day. How can CH staff manage it?

No help am I ! Sorry. But it seems very odd. Are hers being used for other residents as well do you think?
 
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Pennie

Registered User
Jun 16, 2013
247
0
Somerset
I would be everso slightly tempted to wonder who was actually using these pants and hope they weren't being used for others :confused:

Smacked my own wrists for being so suspicious :eek:
 

Pennie

Registered User
Jun 16, 2013
247
0
Somerset
Hi all,
This is confusing me.

First thought: They must be very vigilant to be checking your mum 10 times a day. They must take her to the loo 10 times to do it. If they take her to the loo that regularly...it doesn't make sense to me.

Second thought: Even very vigilant mothers with very young babies would be hard pressed to get through 10 nappies a day. How can CH staff manage it?

No help am I ! Sorry. But it seems very odd. Are hers being used for other residents as well do you think?

Oops hadn't read yours - so I'm not the only one! ;)
 

andrean

Registered User
Jul 5, 2011
88
0
hastings
Thanks for all the replies. I hadn't thought of the possibility of them being used for other residents - but can quite well see how that could happen (dad has found mum in other people's clothes on several occasions).

I'm rarely able to visit as I live a long way away, so am just going on what dad tells me. I can't see either how they could be changing mum 10x/day (even given her huge fluid intake; they also seem unable to stop her drinking everyone else's drinks and even draining the water jugs, which is quite a worry too). Perhaps dad needs to try taking in only a few pants at a time rather than a big lot which could all get used up very quickly.
 

Francine

Registered User
Aug 28, 2012
64
0
Hi Andrean

Please forgive me if I'm interfering here - but if she is drinking so much, do you think it may be worth the home checking to see if there is a medical reason for this.

I think, there are some medical conditions when people want to drink a lot - is it Diabetes or something like that?

Sorry my comment may not have helped but it was just a thought!

Francine.
 

starryuk

Registered User
Nov 8, 2012
1,323
0
Please forgive me if I'm interfering here - but if she is drinking so much, do you think it may be worth the home checking to see if there is a medical reason for this.

I think, there are some medical conditions when people want to drink a lot - is it Diabetes or something like that?

A very good point.

Andrean, I definitely think you should get it checked out. Your mum is sounding desperately(abnormally?) thirsty all the time.
 

Navara

Registered User
Nov 30, 2012
181
0
My mother was getting incontinence pads supplied at home, but when she moved into the care home, they automatically took over the ordering for her.

Unfortunately they don't get pull up type pants, but rather big pads that fit inside ordinary knickers. The trouble with these is they are extremely tricky to use as they don't have an adhesive backing and need the user to be able to stand unaided so they can pull them up without the pad falling to the side, or out, or whatever! Mum can't stand without holding onto something so using these pads means she has to be supervisied now every time she goes to the toilet.