Continence care

Continence and laundry services

Continence is a problem for many people but it's often a hidden problem. As many as one in three people experience problems controlling their urine flow. Caring for someone who has incontinence problems, difficulties in controlling their bowel or bladder functions can have a huge impact on you as a carer and can often be emotionally difficult to cope with.

The person you are looking after may feel embarrassed and will need emotional as well as physical and practical support to deal with issues such as personal hygiene, loss of confidence and perhaps skin irritation. As their carer you may be involved in helping them:

• get to the toilet
• use the toilet
• washing afterwards.

Getting help

If the person you are looking after has incontinence problems then their GP should be your first port of call. Both your GP and local Primary Care Trust (PCT) can provide support, advice and information on this issue. The primary care team includes continence advisors or specialists, as well as occupational therapists, physiotherapists and dieticians.

The continence advisor may be able to provide many small items and other equipment which can help, including:

• plastic or PVC covers to protect beds,
• disposable or washable continence pads
• waterproof pants

The social services department of the person you are looking after should be able to provide small aids and adaptations for the home including:

• hand rails
• commodes
• raised toilet seats

Find out more about equipment and adaptions from social services. more...

Buying your own continence products

There is continence equipment which you can buy yourself ranging from pads and pants to more specialised products. The Bladder and Bowel Foundation provides an independent directory of incontinence products. It also provides useful information and support for carers on a range of bladder and bowel-related problems including incontinence. more...

Laundry services

Some social services departments provide a laundry service for people who have incontinence. In addition, some local authorities provide laundry services if it is difficult for the person to manage their laundry for other reasons.

However there may be restrictions depending on where you live. Some local authorities make a small charge for their laundry service or only cover large items such as bedding. You will need to ask the social services department if they provide this service. The local authority will usually carry out an assessment of the situation of the person you are looking after in order to work out what is the best service for you both.