Adult nappies

[Tonty]

I'm going abroad and will be visiting someone in a care home who needs adult nappies. I've never bought them before and it's an onerous task to get them where they live. Please recommend the best value for money.

Also are incontinence pads the same as 'adult nappies'? they need them for both bowels and urine.

Is the person male or female? My mum has a pull up type incontinence pants. They come with different absorbing strengths. We get them from age co.

You can order them online, but I’ve also seen them for quite cheap in boots and Superdrug. I used to work in a nursing home and found that the pads were useless for most people as they move around and cover a much smaller area so work better for people that only need it for urinary incontinence. Pants are better especially if the person spends a lot of time lying/sitting down.

@annonymousse Female. Thanks

@Frogs88 That's good to know, I didn't even think of Boots or Superdrug. Definitely 'pants' then. Just had a quick look at 'Boots' and can't tell whether they are just for liquid absorbency, they look like they're just pants for wearing at night.

The person I'm buying them for needs to wear them for bladder and bowel care all day. Thanks

My mum uses ID Expert branded pads. She gets some from the continence service and buys others from Amazon. They do pants as well and are reasonably priced.

They are very bulky though so it depends on how much luggage space you have as to how much you could take

www.ageukincontinence.co.uk/vivactive-lady-discreet-underwear-maxi-neutral-large-2200ml-10-pack.html

These are the ones mum has. She is doubly incontinent and they seem to cope. There are thicker ones but they're a bit bulky and less comfortable.

Tena men are a good fit available in supermarkets or chemists.

My mum has advanced dementia and is double incontinent, we have tried them all but find the best pull ups we have tried are from Lidl or Aldi and the best value too.

My DH (dementia and double incontinence) uses Tena men pads. We buy them on subscription from www.incontinencechoice.co.uk ....

If you're travelling with them, remember they are quite bulky so you will need some luggage space for them.

We use these ones for my 91 year old mum - tried a lot of different ones but the carers say these are the best so far and last well during the night apparently.

Amazon essentials are what my mum used. Reasonably priced and in male/female and different sizes.

I would have a chat with the helpline here: https://www.bbuk.org.uk/

Just as an aside for those that are buying them in the uk… get the gp to refer to a continence clinic, my mum had hers delivered monthly from the NHS.

Yes I second this website you can buy bigger packets than you would get in the shops too.

If you want the ones that fasten with tapes look for 'slips'.

Yes I was going to say the same. We do an order every 3 or 6 months and a massive box arrives from tena

A few people have mentioned the continence team. I don't know if we were just unlucky but mum was assessed and they decided she only needed 2 nappies per day. And they really were nappies - giant pampers. She would have to lie down to be changed and god forbid if she moved her bowels more than twice a day. Absolutely no dignity. She's old but still has her pride. We were appalled.

My parents both experience incontinence at the end of their lives. So -

"Also are incontinence pads the same as 'adult nappies'? they need them for both bowels and urine."

No pads are mostly for urine and nappies for all of it. Also though there are incontinence pants which catch all of it too.

• Pads are basically a big sanitary towel that will catch urine in the same way as a towel catches blood, and so can be changed very easily standing up without undressing (but won't hold poo)
• Pants are big padded pants that go on and off like pants, but absorb/hold all of it (poo and urine)
• Adult nappies or slips are the same as pants at absorbing all of it, but are put on and off like a nappy instead of being slid on and off like pants.

As your person needs is doubly incontinent (bowels and bladder) pads won't be enough. Whether they would be best with pants/slips or nappies, depends largely on 2 things

• how they get changed
• whether they use the toilet ever

If they can change or be changed, standing, pants are probably simpler. They can just take them off and put a new pair on like pants. Takes less space and doesn't require them to lie down. Definitely more convenient in a public toilet. Also if they sometimes can use the toilet, they or a carer can just pull dry/clean pants up and down like normal underwear.

If they don't use the toilet and would not stand or would, but would not be able to be changed like this, then slips are probably better as they go on like a nappy, which means the person can lie down and be changed and doesn't have to get their legs through holes or allow something to be pulled up.

Thanks all so much for your recommendations. I've had a look and seem to be leaning towards AgeUK nappies. Very grateful.