Ontex Healthcare shares tips for carers looking after somebody with incontinence
Incontinence solutions specialist Ontex Healthcare has been sharing its expert tips for mobility retailers to pass to their customers who are caring for somebody struggling with incontinence.
There are between three and six million people living with incontinence in the UK, according to Ontex Healthcare, with incontinence products among the few categories of products that mobility retailers saw a rise in demand in during the pandemic and lockdown, as individuals looked to secure the essential aid.
For customers caring for someone living at home who is struggling with incontinence, Ontex Healthcare wants to share the following top five tips to help:
- Ensure the person needing care leads a healthy lifestyle – healthy eating, quitting smoking, undertaking pelvic floor exercises, drinking plenty of fluids and cutting back on alcohol and caffeine are just some of the things that will help someone who is managing incontinence every day.
- Look after yourself – As a carer it’s also important to look after yourself as well as those you are looking after. Dealing with incontinence care can be embarrassing and frustrating so it’s important to make sure you have some quality time planned to de-stress.
- Maintain good hygiene practices – Wear gloves when dealing with used hygiene products and thoroughly wash your hands afterwards. Make sure that you dispose of the hygiene products and gloves appropriately (in sanitary bins, never down the toilet).
- Incontinence care is challenging: try to stay relaxed – Some people may be resistant to receiving help for their incontinence issuesas they feel embarrassed or like they lack independence. Humour can also be a powerful tool for lightening a situation and creating trust between you and your loved one, which in turn may alleviate some of their embarrassment or resistance.
- Use the right incontinence products – It can be completely overwhelming when there is so much product choice, but try to select a product based on the right level of incontinence, which can range from light to severe.
Ontex recently re-launched its iD Expert Slip and iD Expert Form brands, designed to support those with moderate to heavy levels of incontinence.
