incontinence, some questions...

[Rageddy Anne]

My husband has been in a busy Care home for several months,and has just moved to a different one where it's more peaceful.

Within a month of arriving at the busy place, he had been given an incontinence pad, was never taken to the toilet in anticipation of a need, and because he was unable, and too private a man, to ask, he started weeing into his pad. Within a month he was doubly incontinent.I have been providing incontinence pants as he couldn't manage or understand the pads.

He has now been in his new care home for two days, and already has used the toilet, with some encouragement from a new Carer who has also just started... I took a supply of incontinence pants when he moved in.

I asked the nurse if there might be a chance of getting the pants prescribed, and she was very negative.

i've seen mention on here of incontinence nurses, or should that be Continence?? Can anyone tell me anything about such people? I've seen mentions of incontinence clinics, and assessments. The nurse said there were no such things.

He just cannot manage the pads, they slip down and become misplaced, once one came down inside his trousers and fell on the floor, to his embarrassment. Is there really no way I can get any assistance in this, or will I have to keep buying the pants myself??

 

[Beate]

I would be very surprised if there was no Continence Clinic in the whole of the Cotswolds! Also, once someone is in a care home, pads ought to be provided free of charge by the home. The nurse's attitude is very strange.

 

[Grannie G]

I didn`t pay for my husband`s incontinence wear Anne. It was provided by the home.

Even when considered incontinent, my husband was `toileted` regularly. He used to complain the toilet was cold.

 

[LadyA]

And also, the pads shouldn't be falling down. There are special pants to hold incontinence pads snugly in place. Regular underwear often doesn't work. This is the type of thing: https://www.completecareshop.co.uk/...ts/elasticated-stretch-pants-pack-of-5-medium

I think it's possible that the Continence nurse is usually someone that has gone before the person has reached a nursing home, so maybe the nurse at the home just isn't familiar with it. I also would have thought though that incontinence pads would have been supplied by the Home!

 

[MAMMYGRANNY]

Thanks Lady A - I too will be buying some of those for extra security!

 

[Princess t]

My mom saw an incontanence nurse....they gave her a few different pads to try, they said the pants are too expencive and can't be prescribed, they used to though. My mom is now in care and the nursing home will provide pads but we buy her the pants.

 

[thetroutfisher]

My wife is incontinent and our doctor referred her to the bladder and bowel department at our local hospital pads are now supplied free of charge with three monthly deliveries to our house by Tena. They do limit the amount but we always get enough. I would suggest you contact you GP for a referral as they are not permitted to prescribe pads.


Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point

 

[marionq]

We have specialist incontinence nurses in Glasgow who will advise and order products to suit.

 

[Jessbow]

A couple of years back Hertfordshire inco service would only provide pads not pull ups.

Roll forward a few years, my sister, (no dementia ) has just had a stroke which renders her incontinent and unable to stand but mentally ok. Pads again, not pull ups.

Pull ups she could just about pull up as carer balences her, pads? not a chance!
So amongst all the other things she can do long do, she can no longer ( to quote her) 'Even Hoik my own pants up''

So don't imagine its just dementia patients they wont supply pull ups to.( That's Cambs)

 

[Philbo]

Hi

As I have mentioned details of our experience in other posts, sorry for any duplication however, it is relevant to the question in this specific post.

We were initially told by the Community Nursing team (District Nurses in old money) here in East Kent that only pads couild be provided. I challenged this as my wife had already tried Tena panty-liner type products and she had a tendency to discard them willy-nilly.

We had already migrated to the Tena Super pants (not cheap at £12 for 12) and they eventually agreed to submit a case for provision by the NHS. We've just started receiving the very same product (they've just changed over contract to Tena), so evry cupbaord and drawer is now home to 3 months supply.

Here, the NHS supply enough for 4 a day - any more and you have to buy them. As her incontinence gets worse, we are currently getting through between 4 and 6 a day. I have started trying pre-emptive toileting, to try and reduce the occasions where the pants leak a little due to the volume. It helps but you tend to get through more pull-ups. As my wife is still at home, I'm not sure if the same arrangement would apply if she went into care.

A friend of ours is a manager of a local care home and she says they get supplies of pull-up pants etc from Tena via the same NHS contract. Your husband's CH manager should be able to give some advise too?

Perhaps if not, you could start by contacting the Community Nursing team in your area (you may need to do so via your GP?) and ask for help (be prepared to be firm).

Good luck.
Phil

 

[Beate]

Anne's husband is in a care home though, and as such it should be their responsibility to organise continence assessments and pads. It shouldn't be up to the family member!

 

[love.dad.but..]

Dad's care home requested his incontinence assessment and as he was mobile and had tried pads and kept removing them the care home pushed the point that pull up pants were needed. His first assessment was turned down as the ignorant assessor told the care home that they should encourage Dad to train his bladder! Hmm...he has advancing dementia how exactly is that going to happen. Honestly you couldn't make it up. Pull ups supplied after appeal of ridiculous decision and further evidence supplied. The care home should be handling the request for an incontinence assessment not family.

 

[Rageddy Anne]

THANKYOU everyone who answered. It looks like another patchy Postcode lottery thing....

The Care Home Rob has just left flatly refused to discuss anything to do with incontinence, and the new Care Home nurse was dismissive and wouldn't discuss it either. Rob only moved in two days ago, so she probably has me down as pushy. But a new Carer who had also worked in hospitals and for BUPA told me there is a system, and he would ask the manager about it for me.. I wonder how long he'll stay.