She also felt more confident going to medical appointments, outings and family visits.

Knowing she wouldn’t ruin her pants if they took a while gave her a sense of relief. Mum was initially embarrassed about using disposable undergarments, but then relieved: Calling for staff to help her use the washroom and not knowing when they would come gave her anxiety, which would make it harder to hold in her urine. My mother also required help with toileting toward the end of her life. Or if they couldn’t put on a new pull-up, we could do that part for them, but then they could actually pull it up. We also tried to help them maintain their independence during toileting-for example, we could use a hand over their hand to help them clean themselves. In order to maintain the individuals’ dignity, we never referred to the disposable undergarments as diapers: they were always briefs, pull-ups or inserts (pads). There was a range of client reactions: Some were very secretive and ashamed, while others greeted me cheerfully as I walked in with ‘Come over here and change my diaper!’ Working with the same individuals over and over gave me the opportunity to develop a rapport, and as I grew more comfortable with them, they grew more comfortable with me. You develop something of an iron stomach regarding bodily fluids and waste. “I worked for over 10 years in developmental services, often assisting individuals with a developmental disability or dual diagnosis in all areas of daily living, including toileting and personal hygiene. Here, Sarah Slobodnik, 36, of North York, Ontario, describes her journey helping not only her clients with incontinence management, but her own mother. In honour of National Bladder Health Awareness Month this November, five Canadian women shared with us their stories about how they find confidence, incontinence and all. TENA is the worldwide leader in incontinence products and offers a wide range of items, from special underwear to breathable pads, to help women feel confident going about their daily lives.Īs more and more health topics become less and less taboo, it’s time to speak out about incontinence and show that it’s, well, no big deal. The cone of silence around it means that most suffer alone, stressed and embarrassed. There are all kinds of reasons why women of every age may experience incontinence, from childbirth and menopause to various health conditions and medication side-effects. And many others take care of those who do. Young, old, moms and non-moms: As many as one in three Canadian women experience this condition. When was the last time you peed your pants? For many women, the answer might be, “Uh, Tuesday?” It turns out a lot of us are dealing with incontinence.

Composure by rexall