Caregivers: Healthy Adult Diaper Changing Practices When Having Fecal Incontinence

Whether you use adult diapers or some other kind of adult incontinence product it can leave you with many different questions. This is true if you are the caregiver or the patient with bowel incontinence, you may feel uncertain about how to manage your bowel incontinence and what to do in some situations. One of the most common questions concerns how often to change the adult diaper. Caregivers often find this is one of the most challenging aspects of the care that they give. They can often feel uncomfortable and simply don’t know what to do. The good news is that there is a wide variety of information that can be found on the subject of incontinence products and how to use them.

There are certain factors to consider about how often to change an adult diaper. How often you change the adult diaper will depend on the health and lifestyle of the person wearing them. If you are an active and healthy adult you may be able wear your adult diaper longer then someone who is frail and bedridden. Many times, budgetary concerns come into play. However, it is strongly recommended that you do not wear a wet or soiled adult diaper for longer then necessary just to save money. This course of action can exacerbate health problems and opens the potential for infection. 

Studies have shown that most people with incontinence need to change their adult diaper between 5-8 times a day. In addition, it is extremely important that patients with bowel incontinence change their diaper (or the caregiver does), immediately when it becomes soiled. When the person is left wearing a soiled diaper there is an immediate danger of skin problems including skin breakdown that can bring on life threatening infections. 

When the diaper is changed (either by the person wearing it or a caregiver), it is crucial that the skin is cleaned very well. Even if you change the diaper immediately if you fail to thoroughly cleanse the skin it can cause further damage. There are incontinence products that are specially made to deal with skin in this area and can be found on sites that sell adult incontinence products. These gentle incontinence products and wipes will clean the skin without the use of harsh chemicals and abrasion.

Caregivers can often find the best method that helps them deal with this situation while still preserving the dignity of their loved one. There are several different methods that can be used depending on the size and the gender of the loved one in your care. Having the right incontinence products on hand and within easy reach will also make the job easier to deal with.