Bed and Chair Pads Can Save Work with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Incontinence
Dear Carol: My wonderful husband has Parkinson’s disease. He’s still doing very well in many aspects, but he has become incontinent. There are medications that are supposed to help but they all increase the risk of falls and can add to cognitive deficits that can become part of Parkinson's. For both reasons, my husband’s doctor doesn’t want to prescribe them and I agree. The problem is that while my husband will wear diaper style briefs (bless him), either he doesn’t notice when he needs to change, or he forgets to do so. I’m not sure which, but the end result is the same – wet furniture and sheets. I talk to him about it and he’s very cooperative, but he still can’t seem to do what’s necessary to prevent these accidents. I don’t blame him since I know it’s his Parkinson’s that is making this so hard, but do you have any advice about how I can protect our home? – SL
Dear SL: First of all, let me say that I’m sorry about your husband’s Parkinson’s disease. While most people who develop the disease can live well for a long time if they have solid medical support, there are still challenges and sadly the disease is progressive.
I congratulate your husband’s doctor about not prescribing drugs that can help with bladder urgency. His reasons are solid. You sound like a wonderful wife and supportive partner and have obviously done your homework with regard to your husband’s disease. Maybe it would help to know that incontinence is a big reason for many facility placements? That’s because it’s very hard to manage at home. However, you seem to be on the right track for doing it at home, at least for now.
My first thought is this. Have you explored using a different brand or absorbency of a diaper brief? There are many to choose from but going with a premium brand like Egosan can pay off in many ways, one of which is there is less leakage. Another is that people often find that they don’t need to change pads as often, which can amount to the same thing.
From a happy customer: “This is a lifesaver. My husband was flooding the bed every night due to his Alzheimer's and possibly also Parkinson's. No diaper could help, except this one by Egosan. I recommend it.” … Nina L
Even with Egosan, you might want to experiment with different absorbencies, though I’d suggest the Ultra, at least for nighttime. For the day, he might be able to use the Maxi. You can get a free sample by clicking the link in the footer.
Bed and chair pads for extra insurance
The other suggestion that I have is for you to use underpads on both the furniture and beds. Egosan has odor limiting, protective underpads in two styles. One style is large and flat and would work well on his favorite chair. If either of you dislikes the “medical” look of having one on a chair, you could cover it with a nice looking but washable blanket.
The other suggestion is the larger underpad made specifically for the bed. This one tucks in to keep it in place. Even if you are in a double bed you could tuck in his side, which would help. Removable hook-and-eye style strips such as Velcro may keep the other side in place if that is necessary.
No one can cure Parkinson’s (yet), so it's one of many diseases that must be managed. What we don’t want to see is situations like incontinence place yet more limitations on people’s lives. For that reason, Egosan continues to work to take the stigma out of having incontinence while offering superior products to manage the condition.
Let us know how these changes work if you have time!
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