Incontinence and the odors produced by incontinence can render even the most beautiful home into an unpleasant place to live or to visit. It is important to the health, comfort, and well-being of the entire family to keep your home clean and smelling fresh.
Ø Rugs –especially throw rugs make it more
difficult for elders to safely navigate through the house –especially if the
elder is hurrying to the bathroom.
Ø Rugs increase the likelihood that your
elder will trip, fall and injure themselves.
Ø Fall-related injuries sustained by frail
elders can have a devastating impact on the elder’s ability to remain
functioning independently in their own home.
Ø It
is difficult to get the smell out of rugs and carpeting after an incontinent
episode.
Ø Some
rugs can be machine washed, but others must be professionally cleaned or
serviced.
B.
Cover
mattresses, upholstered furniture and car seats in three layers:
1. Cover
first with a water-proof, washable plastic sheet (or even a shower curtain). Secure to the chair, sofa or car seat with
upholstery elastic (giant rubber bands).
The purpose of this plastic is to protect your mattress, upholstery and
automobile interior from being soiled with urine and feces.
2. Cover
the plastic sheet with a washable mattress pad.
This will make the surface less likely to rip or tear and will make the
surface more comfortable to sit on.
Sitting directly on plastic sheets –even those covered with a thin cloth
such as a bed sheet –can be very uncomfortable, particularly for long periods
of time.
3. Cover
the washable mattress pad with a nice, or even an old washable bed sheet. Sometimes it is best to use sheets and fabrics
you don’t mind having soiled or ruined with incontinence messes.
Some
tips many of my clients have made and have found useful include:
Ø Promptly
cleaning-up all incontinence messes and airing your house-out will keep your
house smelling fresh, rather than smelling like a bad nursing home.
Ø Promptly
remove any and all soiled linens.
Ø Be
sure to dump any solid fecal material in the toilet before washing.
Ø Wash
the linens in your washing machine with hot water.
Ø After
washing cycle is complete, smell the sheets before you put them in the
dryer. Some linens may need to be washed
more than once.
Ø Fabric
softeners added to the second rinse cycle can help combat foul smells from
incontinence.
Ø Depending
upon your water, adding vinegar or baking soda, or boric acid (available in
most supermarkets) to your washing machine to help eliminate incontinence odors
from your linens. Some laundry
detergents are specifically designed for eliminating foul odors.
Ø Keep
an ample supply of old sheets and mattress pads* handy so you can keep your
furniture both protected from incontinence and comfortable for everyone to sit
on.
Ø *Many
of my clients have friends and relatives who frequent garage sales (boot sales
or rummage sales) for them, and purchase old bed linens for as little as $0.25
per sheet, costing substantially less than new sheets. I advise you wash these used linens before
you use them because many have a musty scent from storage closets in other
people’s homes.
Ø Other
clients of mine prefer to watch department store sales and purchase off-season sheet
colors and prints to outfit and accommodate their rooms for incontinence care.
Ø Wash-off
the soiled plastic sheet with a household cleaner and a damp cloth, then
dry-off with a clean, dry rag.
Ø Some
plastic sheets can be washed in a washing machine on cold water when necessary,
then hung to drip-dry.
Ø I
would advise against placing plastic sheets in the dryer –for obvious reasons
(it will likely melt).
Ø Many
of my clients find inexpensive plastic shower curtains work quite nicely. Just make sure whatever you choose is
completely water repellent, so the urine and stool cannot soil your upholstery.
Ø Regarding
incontinence episodes in the car:
v Most
often my clients have told me –that unless it is going to be a very long
journey and they can access clean, private toilet and sink facilities, it is
usually easier for them to wait to clean-up when they get home –than to try and
accommodate their elder’s needs in a public rest room.
v None
the less, keep a shopping bag in your trunk with
§ a
change of clothes,
§ a
couple incontinence undergarments,
§ a
box of wet (diaper) wipes,
§ disposable
rubber gloves for your hands,
§ a
spare set of sheets,
§ 1 or
2 mattress pads (depending on how you cover your seats), and
§ plastic
upholstery covers, along with
§ a
plastic bag to store dirties
§ a
plastic bag for trash including soiled incontinence undergarments and used wet
wipes
–in the event your elder has an incontinence episode
while traveling.
I would be very happy to
share any other tips you might have and would like to share. (Please post in the comments section at the
bottom of this blog page.)
C. Incontinence Undergarments can
often contain both urinary and fecal incontinence, protecting clothing,
upholstery, and carpets.
Ø Containing
the incontinence to the incontinence undergarment (diaper) ultimately reduces
your work-load and can make your house less vulnerable to the foul stench that
often accompanies incontinence.
Ø It
is very important to your elder’s skin, to their dignity and to the scent of
your home that you change the incontinence undergarment as soon as possible
after an incontinent episode.
Ø Dump
any solid material into the toilet and flush immediately.
Ø Wash
or scrub the toilet if indicated.
Ø Place
the soiled incontinence undergarment in a sealed plastic bag inside a covered
trash pail. Empty the trash pail into
the outside rubbish can as soon as possible.
Try not to go more than 24 hours between emptying this trash can.
Ø You
may want to avoid changing the incontinence undergarment until you can either:
v get
your elder to the toilet or the shower, or
v until
your elder done urinating or defecating.
because changing your elder in the middle of an
incontinent episode can be a very messy and distressing experience for all
parties.
Ø If
your elder is experiencing incontinent episodes once a week or more often, encourage
your elder to wear incontinence under garments.
Many gender-specific brands are manufactured to accommodate even very large
volumes while remaining thin enough to wear without being noticeable under most
clothing.
Ø Some
elders only experience incontinence at night.
For such persons, it may be necessary to wear incontinence undergarments
only when they dress for bed in the evening.
Ø It
is best for everyone if your elder can be washed-up with soap and water after every
incontinence episode. Bidets are often
all that is needed. Many toilet
manufacturers now offer smart toilets that have warm, soapy water washes,
followed by warm water rinses, then blow-dries the bottom –all at the push of
buttons on a hand-held remote controller.
D. Aromatherapy: Using scents can improve the scent of your
house and can even make you feel good.
Some scents can calm you. Others
bring pleasure or happy memories with them.
For example, if you have a scent that reminds you of a favorite time of
year or a particular vacation, you might want to select that scent for your
home.
There are even aroma therapists available in many areas
who can lead you through purchasing just the right scent for you.
Smell any diffuser scent before purchasing to make sure
you select one that pleases you. There
are many ways to scent your home and diffuse foul odors, including:
1. Liquid
diffusers with wooden sticks. Be careful
to place in a location where the bottle is unlikely to get knocked-over. Diffuser scents are often made with oils that
can stain your furniture.
2. Plug-in
diffusers that come in a wide variety of scents.
3. Potpourri
comes in hundreds of scents and colors.
Some scents are very strong, others barely perceptible.
NEVER
USE CANDLES OR INCENSE IF ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD USES OXYGEN
4. Burn
incense, but be careful to never leave the burning incense unattended. If you are reading this, you likely have
enough problems without adding a house fire to your list.
5. Candle
light can be soothing to look at, can dissipate foul odors of incontinence, and
add a pleasing aroma to the room. Be
very careful using candles, particularly if your elder is confused or
disoriented. Never leave any candle
burning unattended. If you choose to
burn candles it is a good idea to place the candle in a sturdy container where
it is unlikely to be bumped-into or knocked-over. Never burn candles near curtains or
drapes. They can catch fire very easily.
E.
Air-out
your house:
Florence Nightingale in her Notes on Nursing (1859) enumerated five essential points (pure air,
pure water, efficient drainage, cleanliness and light) in securing the health
of houses. Nurses such as Virginia
Henderson (1978) have continued to advocate the importance of fresh air and
light to our patients’ health, well-being, and recovery.
1. Open
windows and doors regularly to create a draft and air-out the house with fresh
air.
2. Use
fans if necessary to create a draft and eliminate the foul odors from your
house. Be certain to protect your elder
from the draft, especially if it is cold outside or your elder finds the draft
unpleasant.
3. In
the unfortunate event you cannot actually open your windows or doors to let the
stench of incontinence out and fresh air inside (some of my clients live in
very dangerous neighborhoods and are afraid to open their windows), then by all
means run your bathroom and kitchen fans to help re-circulate the air in your
house.
4. Air
purifiers are available in many health and health food stores, including
on-line and catalog stores. Many of them
are helpful in eliminating foul odors very quickly. There is tremendous variation among these
products and they can be very expensive, so choose carefully. Mold can grow in some appliances, so make
sure you keep them clean.
5. Clean
your furnace and air conditioner filters frequently.
6. If
you have forced air ventilation in your home, be sure and have your ducts
cleaned regularly.
