Fecal incontinence - easy to change diapers?

jimbo161

My LO is my father who is 67, and the biggest issue we have is with fecal incontinence. He lives with my mom, 71, who is the primary caregiver. He is completely incontinent, has been for over a year. My mom has to change him at least three times a day, and it's always a struggle to get him into a new diaper. He needs to lift his feet so we can get them into the holes where the legs go but he's so confused and unable to follow any direction that sometimes it's impossible to get the new diaper on him. And then when he goes #2 it's a horror story. So much screaming and hitting and cursing. Simply changing his diaper is so difficult that we haven't been able to bathe him in over a year. That used to bother me but it doesn't anymore, I just care about improving this diaper situation. 

Does anyone have advice on how to deal with fecal incontinence? Are there any stellar diaper products out there? We just use a pull up now, but again getting him to lift his legs to get them on is so hard. I tried a tab diaper once but it came apart so easily and wouldn't stay on. 

I tried searching on the forum but haven't found anything useful yet. Any advice on products for easy to change diapers or methods of changing him would be really appreciated! Also any advice on easy to take off shorts and pants? Right now he's just in a diaper and shirt all day. If anyone can point to easy to remove shorts and pants that don't require the person to lift their legs that would be a huge help. 

eastofbeach

I wonder if there are pants that have snaps on them on the sides. What if you got the depends and cut them with sizzors and then used the medical tape to shut them?

abc123

I’m also in search of a good brand. Someone recently recommended North Shore Care Products. I will be searching for them online! Good luck.

towhee

Google Buck and Buck, look for men's adaptive side zip pants.  If you can keep pants on the tabbed briefs are easier to keep on.

towhee

Putting on tabbed briefs-- This works if your LO does not move around a lot in the changing process and is better if LO is sitting on toilet. Fasten briefs loosely above knees (but with the tabs firmly pressed together), have LO stand up, pull briefs up as if they are pull ups, adjust tabs. You can pre-mark where the tabs should be in the tightened position so that they don't get pulled too far to one side or the other.

towhee

You say it is really difficult when it comes to bowel movements, Could it be painful for him to have a bowel movement or for him to be wiped? Are you able to speak to his doctor about this?

If he is unable to see a doctor, a nurse visit might be prescribed. You could also ask for a hospice evaluation, he might not qualify, but it does not hurt to for an evaluation. They can provide a lot of help in daily care.

aod326

For DH we used Fit Right tabbed briefs during the day, and Prevail Air at night. He was doubly incontinent. Both brands were good, and fit very well. The Prevail overnight briefs were extremely absorbent. I had been very reluctant to use the tab style briefs because of them looking exactly like baby diapers, but they were actually much better for DH (and us) than pull ups.

DH had been an avid runner, so, once he became incontinent, we dressed him in long running pants. Like sweat pants, except a little more "him". It may have been easier for us, though, in that DH couldn't dress himself at all, so it didn't matter about being able to lift up his feet to put them on.

In terms of how we changed him, we always changed him on the bed.

Good luck.