Night-time incontinence solutions

[Sh1neAL1ght]

DF (83) has Parkinson's and is struggling with night time incontinence.

He gets up several times in the night and changes the padded underwear that he uses.

DM lines up a set of padded pants with pads stuck in ready for him to use.

The padded underwear, even with an extra stick on pad, is not absorbent enough.

To complicate the issue, he has a huge hernia which means sizing is difficult.

He would not manage to use slips or pull on paper pants himself- the pull ups are too stretchy and do not stay open for him to put his foot through. He wants to be independent.

DM has contacted the continence service but they are not very helpful. I have said to try the Parkinson's nurse too.

I've suggested cutting out the pad from a slip and stitching it into his cotton padded pants but that's obviously a lot of faff for DM and he would need 3/4 pairs a night.

Does anyone have any "outside the box" solutions for this problem? Or know of some good products that would be better than what he already has.

Does he wake up after or is it the time taken to get to the toilet? If it is the latter, a urine bottle means he can go straightaway.

I would also look at when he drinks, it is important he doesn’t get dehydrated but nothing to drink after say 8 or 9 pm might help.

@Harassedevictee
Thank you for replying.
I think it's evolved to him waking up after.
Also, due to his hernia and his Parkinson's, he wouldn't manage a urine bottle.
I've just huffed at my mum for being negative about possible solutions and now I'm doing the same 😬😂.
My mum's worry is that there isn't a solution. I thought I'd try posting here to see what other options there might be.
The bed has double washable pads so my mum is just washing those every day and has several sets. She's upset because my dad is sad about it but hasn't got the ability to adapt to help himself.
He's stopped drinking by 7pm-ish now, is putting his feet up in the evening and is having a few wees before bed.

When I worked as a carer, we would sometimes use a urine bag/penis sheath (I can't remember the name of the product), so it's applied before bed and removed in the morning, not indwelling like a catheter.

I am sorry to hear that the continence service have been unhelpful. That is very disappointing.

An elderly relative now buys the disposable bed pads, which he says work well. These would obviously would mean a lot less work for your mother. He also found the incontinence nurse to be of little help.

@Sh1neAL1ght I know it’s a difficult subject, so I started with the basics.

Have your parents sought advice from their GP and a referral for continence advice? I am not a medical person but I do know there are medications that can help, as well as alarms etc. but you need to talk to a professional to find the right solution for your Dad.

Thank you all for your advice. If we discover a good solution I'll let you know!

Would he consider a Conveen?

The disposable elasticised pants are good. I do see you say he finds difficulty as they 'spring shut'. I cannot reach my feet, but use a grabber stick to put on pants trousers etc. I can't get dressed without it.

I has a poke around the Parkinsons UK website and their Continence info, but in the end found their link to Bladder and Bowel UK. They're a charity and it sounds as if they might be able to talk through some more options?

https://www.bbuk.org.uk/

@haveyouopenedyourbowelstoday
Thank you. His hernia would mean he couldn't use this.

Dad used a Conveen successfully. It needed fitting by a carer tho because dad had advanced dementia and could do nothing for himself. The cycle is soiled bed linen and the smell is exhausting and awful.

@Theoldwrinkley
Thank you. I forgot to say, he has dementia so has difficulty learning new things or remembering things- especially in the middle of the night.

I feel bad asking for solutions now as I dint think there is one!

I did actually cut the pad out of a slip (adult nappy) and attached it to a pair of his cotton, padded pants (they are trunk style) by sewing it with a bit of thread in each corner. I think it might work but my mum is doubtful and it would also mean preparing 4 pairs of ready sewn pants for each night. I could do that for her though. I'll see if she decides to try it.

@PermanentTemporary
Thank you for investigating!
I've sent a link for this charity to my mum. I like that it has a helpline as I think talking to someone would be useful for my mum- she's given up on the NHS continence person.

Conveen urinary night time catheter (put it on like a condom and it attaches to a collection bag) might work? Speak to the continence nurse for your area.

Has he had his prostate checked as an enlarged prostate or a UTI might be why he's needing to pee several times a night?

You dont need to buy anything
Insist on a continence nurse visit- they will give you a range of options to try and then send 3 months worth at a time

My BIL has MS and he has some sort of penis sheath thing that has a pipe that catches the wee outside the bed . I guess a bit like a catheter but doesn't go inside

@Whohasnickedthesellotape
Thank you. His huge hernia means a conveen type thing wouldn't be suitable.
He's a very private man and so a prostrate investigation hasn't been done. I think with his age, his dementia and his Parkinson's that they wouldn't be able to do anything about it anyway.

@JollyHollyMe
Thank you.
My mum has gone through this process and did eventually get sent some padded cotton pants (it took a few goes to get the right size).
The problem is that the incontinence has got worse quite quickly and these don't do the trick anymore.

Sadly, I don't think there's a simple solution. I wish he didn't have the hernia. He didn't tell anyone he had it for years. When a consultant finally saw it he pulled more through to check it wouldn't get strangulated then said there was nothing that could be done. It makes going to the toilet difficult, finding clothes to fit difficult and using some aids impossible.

@Sh1neAL1ght
Contact either vyne continence service or nightingale (quick google will find them) they have continence advisors available to speak to (no referral required) and can suggest and supply products to help manage.

Would a convene be better for night time?

@Sh1neAL1ght sorry, just saw you said convene wouldn't work.
However please explore those services for advice and guidance, the do home visits too if they cover the area he lives in.

@foodtoorder
Thank you do much. I will investigate!

Also age uk and bladder and bowel uk have help and advice lines related to continence

Also might be worth asking if a district nurse could assess him, it could be hard to advise unless seen physically.

By stick on pads do you mean the large maxi pad style pads? If so have you tried the large pads that are just held on by pants (they are too big to have sticky backings).

The biggest ones can hold 3.5L if fluid and I suspect it is unlikely he is peeing more than that... www.ageukincontinence.co.uk/id-expert-form-maxi-size-3-large-shaped-pad-3000ml-pack-of-21.html

The only thing is they are best used with special pants, they will work with normal briefs but will be less secure.