The fate of council run care homes for older people, many of whom relying on the home to assist with incontinence management and other conditions is not to be known for another year after Suffolk County Council delayed a decision concerning their sale.

Some 16 county council run residences will now remain under the public purse following the extension, which came following a three-month consultative process, reports the BBC.

While slightly more than half (53 per cent) of respondents were in favour of selling the homes to independent care home providers, 31 per cent were against the move, the council claimed.

A total of 526 places are provided by the 16 care homes, while a further 2,300 beds are bought by the local authority in private sector homes, added the news provider.

Councillor Colin Noble told the BBC: "The key thing is that we're spending £3 to 4 million more by providing our own homes rather than [paying for places] in the private sector."

With many homes closing or under threat of closure it is expected that people will increasingly be cared for within their own home. This has many benefits but can also lead to isolation and incontinence management becomes a larger issue if the individual is reliant on someone to assist with product changing. At this point the selection of the correct incontinence pad, both in terms of absorption but also ease of changing becomes important. Products such as Tena Flex can assist thanks to their ease of application and also because they do not need to be removed for normal toilet use.