Incontinence Products
These are the best selling products sold for older people which shows you that this is a common problem in older people.
These products can help you manage your condition while waiting for assessment and treatment.
There are a variety of incontinence pants and pads the most popular are pads worn inside underwear that absorb leaks. These pads are specially designed like nappies to draw urine away from the skin keeping the skin dry and avoiding any soreness.
People with severe leakage they can have NHS supplied pads which tend to be big and bulky
With mild to moderate incontinence if you want less bulky pads you will have to buy them privately.
Suggested products from various patients are
Boots own brand STAYDRY MAXI or MAXI PLUS
Or TENOR
There are other products too that prevent leakage in the bed and on the chair
NHS continence services
You can get advice about your condition from:
- an NHS continence service– which is staffed by specialist nurses, sometimes called continence advisers
- your GP – who may refer you to a continence adviser or your local district nurse
You may be able to book an appointment at an NHS continence service without a referral from your GP.
Once you’ve been assessed, the healthcare professionals treating you will say which incontinence products are available on the NHS. Your local CCG may have criteria that you need to meet – for example, products may only be available for people with severe or long-term incontinence and you may be limited to a certain number of products per day.
If you request more incontinence products, you will be reassessed to check if this is necessary, and if so more products should be offered.
If this doesn’t happen, or if you have any concerns, tell the healthcare professionals treating you. You can also seek advice from the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
Continence clinics
NHS continence clinics have specialist teams providing support and medical advice for people with bowel or bladder incontinence. The clinics can be based in a hospital or in the community, such as in a health centre.
You can phone some continence clinics directly to make an appointment but others will require you to be referred by your GP. To find out where your nearest NHS continence service is call your local hospital.
On your first visit, a continence adviser, usually a nurse who specialises in bowel and bladder problems, will assess you and explain your incontinence treatment options.
For more information, read how to get NHS help for incontinence.
Also for men is an excellent system called Convene made by Coloplast which has a system like a condom attached to a bag to collect the urine.
Prescription only