Help for my mother with bowel incontinence

tracytracy · ‎09-12-2011

My Mom is a proud and private woman so this subject is very difficult. Since she had a TIA a few years back she's had difficulty with bowel control--some days are worse than others. She's dealt with it using Poise pads, lots of immodium, and changing linens and clothes a lot. But she's getting frail and tires so easily, these tricks are getting harder and harder. I asked her if it was time for the full incontinence briefs and she was quite emphatic that it was not, but she fell in her bathroom yesterday cleaning stuff up. So I thought I should just buy her some of those briefs and hope that if they are there she might use them. I was reading about incontience briefs on Amazon, but they only mention bladder incontinence. Mom just needs enough to give her a little extra time to get to the bathroom and get seated. Any thoughts ladies?

turtle52 · ‎03-15-2010

There are websites that sell many more styles than Amazon has. They specialize in adult incontinence products. Some "diapers" are made specifically for bowel incontinence. They come in pull up styles as well as styles that have tape like a true diaper. The pull up styles are more like regular briefs I can't list the sites because I would get poofed. Just Google it and you'll find the sites. HTH!

PinkyPetunia · ‎03-09-2010

This is an issue for your mom's doctor. Either her family practice doctor or a gastrointestinal doc. In the meantime buy a box of Depends, maybe your mom will use them if they are around.

loveschocolate · ‎05-11-2012

@turtle52 wrote:
There are websites that sell many more styles than Amazon has. They specialize in adult incontinence products. Some "diapers" are made specifically for bowel incontinence. They come in pull up styles as well as styles that have tape like a true diaper. The pull up styles are more like regular briefs I can't list the sites because I would get poofed. Just Google it and you'll find the sites. HTH!

@turtle52 @tracytracy, I agree with what turtle52 said. My MIL suffers from chrohn's and uses these.

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

My thoughts: Go to your local stores and find the packages that do more of what your mother needs. Or go straight to Depends website and see the variety of help they might have for your mother. Nothing to be ashamed of....tons of people have to use these, or else there wouldn't be a company(s) that make these things. Search...

back to add: they go by weight of the person too I think. So you will need to check it out, get a package (like other poster said) and have it handy, she may be so glad you did!

RetRN · ‎10-01-2013

Perhaps her physician could get her into program that deals with incontinence. They would set up a bowel program for her that could definitely be helpful.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

I have 2 thoughts.

@tracytracyOne is to try a package of Depends briefs. A good friend of mine who has been on a walker for several years uses those to give herself extra time to reach the porcelain unmentionable.

My second thought is about mom's stubbornness. Be glad mom is still stubborn. To me it's a sign she has not given up - she wants to be an independent as she can be at this stage. I know it makes caring for her difficult sometimes, but I also know a huge percentage of us elderly go through this stage.

It's horribly inconvenient; my question would be whether it's dangerous because eventually that's what it seems to come down to - safety.

Another new name Sue · ‎03-11-2010

I agree with Millie. "Hurrying" is dangerous. Perhaps she would be willing to wear the proper briefs as a back-up plan.

Group 5 minus 1 · ‎03-11-2010

Sometimes medications cause these problems. She REALLY needs to talk to her doctor.

Shelbelle · ‎03-09-2010

My sis and I went thru this a few years ago with our 90+ mom. It is , needless to say, very difficult, and my mom lived alone. There are special adult diapers designed for this situation. I contacted IDiaper.com, and found them to be very helpful. They have CS reps and nurses you can speak to. A CS rep named Beverly was quite helpful and understanding to me. You can look up Fecal Incontinence on their site, they have a special section devoted to it, good luck, please let me know if you contact them and if they were of help to you. We found the trick is to know how to put these diapers on, my mom found it very difficult since she lived alone and had loss of dexteriry.