Although 1 in 10 of the male population over 65 experience urinary incontinence, until recently the taboos around male incontinence have been even greater than those surrounding the condition for women.

However, we are seeing this situation slowly changing, helped by an increasing number of products specifically designed for male use.

We’ve just added Lil for Men products to our male incontinence products range, both Lil for Men Extra and Lil for Men Super offer a large coverage area for extra security and are discreet and comfortable to wear.

These additions to our range supplement the recently relaunched Tena Men’s range which is now known as TENA Men. The packaging of these products has been changed to become more masculine, more discreet and more consumer-friendly although the product range remains the same, with Tena Men Level 1 and Tena Men Level 2 both available. The improved side elastics allow for greater comfort and ensure a better fit to the body. TENA Men incontinence pads also contain their unique Odour Control™ system that neutralises potential odours for complete confidence. The re-launch of Tena Men Level 1 sees the development of the product to become smaller and more discreet.

With so many different products available nowadays that will manage incontinence it can prove difficult in determining exactly which ones to use. So in order for you to determine which sort of incontinence product you should be using we offer some guidelines below that you may find very helpful.

The things which you must be looking for when it comes to making purchase of such products are as follows:

1. What form of incontinence do you experience? E.g. Stress, urge and faecal incontinence all have different needs (e.g. high absorbency to cope with large amounts of liquid in a single episode for urge incontinence).

2. How easy are they to use? E.g. Can you put them on easily or will you need help? Products such as Belted All in One products are simpler for normal toileting than traditional All in One pads

3. Will they fit in comfortably with the kind of lifestyle that you like to lead? E.g. can they be removed easily? Pull up underwear is far easier for most mobile people.

4. How much comfort do they provide you with? E.g. a smaller incontinence product is more comfortable to be worn, even if it means slightly more frequent changing.

5. How durable are they? E.g. Would washable incontinence products suffice or do you need the extra absorbency of disposable incontinence products.

6. How much liquid can they retain before they need replacing?

Once you know the solutions to these questions then you can select the products that you feel are most likely to fit your needs well. Also of course you need to take into account your gender as the design of the product may differ for men and women.

So now you are going to buy some incontinence products but are still unsure exactly what to purchase? Here we offer a number of tips that you may find very helpful indeed.

Tip 1 – Don’t rush into purchasing the first product you come across it is worth spending some time doing some research into what is available. This doesn’t mean you have to spend hours going from one store to another instead why not look to see what is available by going online. There are various websites such as www.allaboutincontinence.co.uk that are experts in supplying such items and will provide you clear and concise specifics of how each product works.

Tip 2 – As you do carry out your research don’t limit yourself to one particular brand such as Tena. In this way you can get a better idea about how much the item you are considering purchase will cost. As you will soon discover the prices can vary quite a bit from one brand to another and you could end up saving yourself quite a tidy sum on your purchase by spending those few extra minutes doing some comparison shopping, or feel that the extra spent on a quality brand is worthwhile.

Tip 3 – It is important to know that the designers of incontinence products such as Tena and Lille don’t tend to use the same sizing systems. Plus the way that these products are made means that the way that they fit will differ quite a bit. So make sure that you check the size charts for the various products carefully to ensure that you get the right size that will fit well but also comfortably.

It is also a good idea to try several different products out before you make your final purchase for example by purchasing a incontinence sample pack.

Hopefully the tips we have offered above when it comes to purchasing incontinence products will ensure that you manage this kind of problem more effectively. So of course allowing you to lead the kind of lifestyle you want.

A recent article by June Rogers MBE of Promocon on Nursing Times.net has summarized many of the issues faced by Continence services as continence nurses are being forced to restrict types and quantities of products, regardless of need.

“We know the NHS will have to save £15-20bn over the next five years.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley has said that this “implied something like 3-3.5%, probably about 3%, efficiency savings each year in the NHS… we may need to do more, because we have increases in demand”.

On the ground, we have all been told we need to make significant savings within our individual departments of approximately 10% of our budgets. This means that those of us working in continence services are under considerable pressure to save, on average, more than £100,000 per year. This is almost impossible when we are already struggling on limited budgets, while the cost of disposable incontinence products and the ageing population who need continence care are both increasing.

The cost of continence products produced in the Eurozone has been dramatically affected by the exchange rate. Between 2007 and 2009, costs rose over 30%.

While the exchange rate has moved slightly this year, industry has still seen a cost increase of around 28% since 2007. Products produced outside the Eurozone are affected by fluctuating local currencies. In addition, raw material prices are increasing and, as those used in continence products are priced internationally in US dollars, there will be a double hit as the euro is weak against the dollar.

The figures do not add up. We want to provide the same level of service, balance the books and save 10% at a time when products are costing nearly 30% more.
Continence services can only realistically seek to cut costs via efficiency savings, rather than on product price. However, many of us are frustrated that our ideas to improve efficiency are often lost within the bureaucracy of the NHS and because continence is not anyone’s “target”, which means it sparks little interest.

Particularly frustrating is the snail’s pace at which services are being transferred from acute to primary care, where they could be better served.

Yet it is disposable product provision that leaves many continence nurses in the line of fire. Calls to the PromoCon helpline, a charity that offers product advice, are increasing. Patients and families are complaining about the limited type and number of products for which they are eligible. The phrase “Don’t shoot the messenger!” often comes to mind as nurses are told by management to restrict the type and number of products they prescribe to save money. This means that many services are not able to provide products to meet patients’ needs.”

If you find that you are experiencing urinary incontinence, it is always recommended to discuss the problem with your doctor or health professional as they are best placed to determine the precise cause of the condition.

As well as searching for a cure for your urinary incontinence, you are also likely to look for dependable, urinary incontinence products to help you manage your condition and avoid any potentially embarrassing situations.

When looking for incontinence products, as well as pants and pads, and you will also see skincare products that will keep the skin stay healthy by preventing rashes and irritation.

If unsure what product types would be most suitable for you then seek advice, either from a healthcare professional, a product manufacturer or an Incontinence specialist such as Allanda, all of whom should be well versed with the multitude of different products for odour control and skin protection, pads and pants, and also beyond that their user-friendliness and comfort.
Hopefully after this you will have a good starting point , and as you evaluate different urinary incontinence products by trying them for yourself then you will determine what features and aspects are most important for you. If a product works for you and is comfortable then try it over a longer period to be sure, if not, then determine what aspects you aren’t satisified with and find another product or brand that looks like it will better meet your own specific needs until you find the best product for you.

There are many different types of incontinence products so it is important to have an open mind and consider all options initially. You may well discover that different products are more suitable for different activities in your day. For example, washable incontinence pants may be fine for wearing during the day, whilst at night the extra absorbency of a disposable product is needed. At night, a waterproof mattress cover may also be needed as well for extra security.

If you use disposable pants or pads, change them regularly, well before they are full, to avoid skin chafing and rashes developing. It is really recommend to change a disposable pad as soon as it is soiled.

Washable incontinence pants often look similar to normal underwear but generally contain a built in pad, and have a reinforced waterproof crotch. The built in pads are constructed from special fabric that helps to wick wetness away from you keeping your skin dry and healthy. This type of underwear is generally worn without a pad. For extra protection at night you can use waterproof pants over disposable or washable products, however if you are using the right disposable product this shouldn’t be necessary.

When you are in the process of seeking out the right incontinence products for your needs, Allanda can assist you in finding the perfect products for your situation. You can purchase various sample packs designed for specific levels of incontinence which will give you a great idea of what product types are available and find which ones you suit you.

You might prefer the ease of use and hygiene of disposable urinary incontinence products, or you may prefer the cost advantages of washable incontinence products. Like many people you might even find that a combination of different types of urinary incontinence products suits you most.

Whatever the solution to your needs, we are here to help you discover it.

The Telegraph has reported another shocking news story about elderly people being mistreated by a senior care home nurse so she could have a quite night while on duty.

According to the Telegraph, a 63 year old nurse working at St James’ Park Nursing Home in Dorset was sedating patients, putting call bells out of reach and putting extra incontinence pads on residents so she would not have to change their sheets.

Many of the patients under her care were highly vulnerable and many were dependent on her to meet their basic needs. She was only stopped when a healthcare assistant, Anthony Pitcher, blew the whistle on her.

Mr Pitcher said he often saw Haskings put two incontinence pads on patients at night so she would not have to change the bed sheets in the morning. He also witnessed Haskings taking call bells away from patients.

Jillian Alderwick, chairman of the panel – who worked at St James’ Park Nursing Home in Dorset – said that Haskings had set an “appalling example” to junior staff, commenting that:

“Further the panel considers that the placing of call bells out of the reach of residents was nothing short of abuse and the inappropriate application of more than one continence pad at a time was an assault on the dignity of these vulnerable, elderly residents. Having considered the matter carefully, the panel has come to conclusion that the misconduct in this case was so serious that it is fundamentally incompatible with the registrant continuing to be registered with the NMC.”

The nurse was found guilty of dishonestly obtaining Temazepam tablets, administering unprescribed medication to patients, sleeping on shift, removing their call bells and applying extra incontinence pads. The panel ruled that she should be struck off the register but she was cleared of failing to carry out hourly checks on residents.

Source: The Telegraph Online

Everybody is different, and what people want from an incontinence product can differ significantly as well. So when using the right product, whether for urinary incontinence (stress incontinence or urge incontinence) or fecal problems, having a large selection to choose from is important. A large incontinencechoice enables you to find the right mix of size, absorbency, re-usability, fixation etc.

That’s why we are constantly adding new products to our range and in the last few weeks we added Tena Pants Discreet Extra (Medium and Large), the cost effective Lille Supreme Pull-up Incontinence Pants, and great value Lille Classic Form Incontinence Pads, a wide range of Tena Hygiene Accessories, plus larger value pack counts of Tena Comfort Extra, Tena Comfort Plus, Tena for Men Level 1 and Tena for Men Level 2. Not to mention smaller packs counts of Tena Fix.

When it comes to Incontinence Choice, Allanda aim to give you the best selection around, backed up by our reknowned great value and fast delivery.

Faecal incontinence is probably the most embarrassing and frustrating type of incontinence there is and nearly all incontinence products available are bulky and uncomfortable to use.

A new product developed and recently introduced in the American market promises to deal with mild faecal incontinence in a discreet and hygienic way. With a unique butterfly shape this incontinence product fit into place without the need of tape, pins or other fastening devices.

This innovative incontinence product is described as an anal leak pad, highly absorbent (up to 10 ml leakage per pad) of mild faecal leakage and perspiration, it is a soft, smooth and latex free.

These pads act as breathable moisture that helps contain leakage, keeping sensitive skin drier and at the same time reducing irritation. With its compact size of 3-1/2 x 5 inches open (fold to use) these pads are easy to carry and use when needed.

Designed for active lifestyle these faecal incontinence pads are disposable, biodegradable and flushable making it easy to change and dispose it in the privacy of a restroom, making it a simple and easy to use solution for people living with Faecal Incontinence.

Product Profile

Name: B-SURE® Anal Leakage Pads
Manufacturer: B-Sure
Available in Boxes of 24

Expect to see these new pads in the UK any time soon and stay tuned for more information about other incontinence products here at All About Incontinence.

As well as providing all the personal products and advice needed for incontinence, Allanda also realises the importance of offering products to protect your home furniture.

That’s why we retail a full range of Bed Protection products, including Bed Pads, Duvet Protection, Matress Covers and more.

To view the full range please click here.

Allanda are offering free delivery on all products if you order before the 21st December 2008!

With products ranging from incontinence pads, pants, Incostress and incontinence skincare. Allanda certainly has everything you need to get you right through Christmas and in to the new year!

There’s not long left, so get your orders in.

Happy Christmas!

Allanda knows how important personal hygiene and skin health is to our customers. So that’s why we retail a range of skincare specifically designed for those experiencing incontinence.

Our range includes:

- Body Wash Cloths

- *Abena Washing Foam

- Wash Glove

- Abena Washing Lotion

- Abena Wet Wipes

- Gloves

For more details please click here.

*Abena skincare products are designed by a protective healthcare business with particular emphasis on total incontinence management.