Designing and maintaining an incontinence system is a trial and error project. Amazon marketing states, “Ideal choice for ultimate incontinence protection both day and night”.
Then two inches below “Frequently bought together” showing the “ultimate” with bed pads.
Amazon treats both Assurance and Attends alike. The bed pads are all disposable. A disposable bed pad is used only once when soiled. Washable bed pads can be used 200-300 times. Comparable performance is then about $2-3 versus $0.20 plus laundry ($0.50) for maximum capacity.
There is no fixed cost for an incontinence wear system that is to be maintained by residents. The fixed cost, some facilities charge, is a form of insurance. Rather than starting out low and ending up high, the fixed cost fee is an average based on a number of residents. Prices and products are continually changing.
Products listed below need to be tried for effectiveness. Molicare and Attends were picked by professional memory care managers a few years ago.
The tabbed brief is easier to use at night than the pull up. The MoliCare remains odorless for over 8 hours by controlling the pH. The others required changing within 4 hours to remain odorless.
The values in the following table are rounded for easy reference. The 30-day cost is based on experience. Some months the cost may be more or less. For many people their cost should be about half of these estimates. [There are 13 4-week months in the year.]
Product Pull Tabbed Disposable Washable Cost/30 Days
Up Brief Bed Pad Bed Pad Low* High**
None (bath towel and home laundry bedding) $0.00 $30
Assurance
Depend $0.70 $0.50 $1.00-$2.00 $0.50 $70 $200
Attends
MoliCare*** $1.70 (odorless 8 hours) $150 $400
Wellness $1.70 (astronaut dry 8 hours)
* 2 PU, 2 TB, and 0 bed pad
** 4 PU, 4 TB, and 3 bed pads
*** No TB and 8-hour change
 |
| Four Make a Washer Load |
At low flow rates, a change to higher quality items will suffice for a time. With high flow rates, none of these items will work during the day without frequent (two-hour toileting) nor at night without a good bed pad.
It is at this time that the lowest cost system is to again to select the lowest cost items with a good bed pad. The bed stays dry.
Every time I get on the Internet, Google helps me find new things based on what I searched for the day before. The Wellness Absorbent Underwear (Pull-Ups) using InconTek technology based on designs used by the astronauts claims an 8-hour dry performance for the wearer.
The MoliCare Premium Mobile Underwear claims an odorless performance for the same time and price. But it leaks when Margaret sits up and turns. A two-hour dryness check is more traditional than an 8-hour scheduled change in memory care.
Everything has failed her high flow rate at night, and in the day if not toileted often enough or timed properly. So back to Walmart for a last check on prices (same as online) and to find what is on the shelf.
Surprise. Assurance Incontinence Underwear, XL, $0.49; Assurance Incontinence Stretch Briefs with Tabs, L/XL, $0.53; and Assurance Premium Extra-Large Disposable Washcloths, XL, $0.05. Everything was there. We will need to watch the underwear as I have never seen underwear priced below briefs.
The wetness groin rash is back in mid-April. To date Vitamin A&D ointment is working for her yeast rash and groin rash. That is about $10 per $100 of Nystatin last year that did not work until the weather cooled down (or was it just the change in the weather that mattered?)
I have not studied the market for subscription systems. They have a place where the convenience is worth the cost. I will need to do this if the Assurance underwear prove inadequate.
One week later. The caregivers prefer the Assurance Underwear and Washcloths. The washcloths are larger than Attends. A test online order arrived in three days free. The advantage of ordering yourself is it is easy to try different products. The advantage of a subscription order is you have to do nothing after it is tuned to your needs.
Two weeks later: This is working. Any time the shelf below is empty, of either product, I place a Walmart order over $35. It arrived free in two-three days. I have yet to find a convenient reorder button. I search for a product. A re-order screen comes up for everything I have ordered in the past few months.
If the surplus product is hidden in a closet or chest, you run the risk of running out before you realize you need to re-order. Storing the excess in sight of an apartment monitor would also be convenient.
I have not studied the market for subscription systems. They have a place where the convenience is worth the cost. I will need to do this if the Assurance underwear prove inadequate.
One week later. The caregivers prefer the Assurance Underwear and Washcloths. The washcloths are larger than Attends. A test online order arrived in three days free. The advantage of ordering yourself is it is easy to try different products. The advantage of a subscription order is you have to do nothing after it is tuned to your needs.Two weeks later: This is working. Any time the shelf below is empty, of either product, I place a Walmart order over $35. It arrived free in two-three days. I have yet to find a convenient reorder button. I search for a product. A re-order screen comes up for everything I have ordered in the past few months.
If the surplus product is hidden in a closet or chest, you run the risk of running out before you realize you need to re-order. Storing the excess in sight of an apartment monitor would also be convenient.
