Attends Can Help Manage Adult Incontinence (AI)

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Find out how to provide high-quality disposable adult incontinence products that help your patients achieve better outcomes. Contact an Attends sales professional or call 1-800-4-ATTENDS (1-800-428-8363)

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As a healthcare professional, you may know that currently, 28.3 million North Americans have a need for disposable adult incontinence products. While aging does not directly lead to adult incontinence, incontinence can be caused by degenerative changes associated with aging, such as the loss of estrogen for women or enlarged prostates for men. In fact, 33% of women and 10% of men over age 50 are periodically incontinent.

As the population ages, the number of North Americans needing disposable adult incontinence products will only get larger. Estimates indicate significant growth over the next several decades:

Understanding AI

Different Types

Managing AI

Protect Patients

Understanding adult incontinence

Incontinence is the loss of bladder and/or bowel control. It can be temporary or a permanent condition and, though it is not an illness or a disease, incontinence can be managed. Incontinence can have many causes, including:

  • Birth defects
  • Pelvic injuries or surgeries
  • Damages to the spinal cord
  • Neurological diseases
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Infections
  • Degenerative changes as a result of aging

As part of the urinary system, the bladder plays an important role in storing urine after it is produced by the kidneys. If the bladder weakens, incontinence may occur. The most common causes of bladder weakness are:

  • Relaxation of the pelvic muscles, often seen in women who have had several children
  • Reduced muscle control that can occur with menopause
  • Infections or inflammation of the bladder or the urethra
  • Nervous system disorders
  • Aggravation to the bladder caused by alcohol, caffeine or medications

Different types

There are different types of incontinence, and in some cases more than one type may be identified for an individual:

  • Stress Incontinence is associated with intermittent leakage of small amounts of urine, which often happens when one exercises, coughs, sneezes or laughs.
  • Urge Incontinence is the sudden, urgent need to urinate and the inability to get to a toilet in time. This occurs when the nerve passages between the bladder and brain are damaged. Stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and MS can all cause urge incontinence. It can also be caused by something as simple as a urinary tract infection.
  • Overflow Incontinence occurs when the quantity of urine created/produced exceeds the limitations of the bladder for storage. It can be caused by diabetes, pelvic damage or surgery, spinal cord injuries, MS and/or other diseases. Constipation, medications, and enlarged prostate gland can also cause this form of incontinence.
  • Fecal Incontinence is the inability to control bowel movements or gas; includes liquid and/or solid stool. It can be caused by neurological diseases, musculoskeletal disorders or injuries to the pelvic area.
  • Functional Incontinence is physical or cognitive limitations that prevent an individual from reaching a toilet. This can be a result of environmental barriers, such as being too far away from a bathroom, or psychiatric problems.

Managing adult incontinence

Managing adult incontinence care is a challenge and the consequences of inadequate incontinence care can be significant. To help, Attends offers the following forms, worksheets, and referral tools:

  • Attends At Your Service
  • Conversion Letter
  • Home Healthcare Referral Form
  • Hospital Formulary
  • Hospital Formulary Worksheet
  • Problem Solving Guide

Protect patients with Attends

The full line of Attends products is designed to help manage incontinence care, promote healthy skin, and achieve better outcomes.

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