Purewick

​fesk

Hello,

I did a search and read through some old posts. I saw people who were going to buy this and information, but no first hand experience with it.

Has anyone purchased and used this? If so, what did you think? I'm considering it.

Thank you!

zauberflote

Hi fesk, my comment might have been in one of those old posts! I never purchased a Purewick system. I first saw it in summer of 2019 when my mom had an emergency hip replacement (at 91!) She did not understand it At All, and was still able to hold her urine and be a good girl for not making a mess on the bed. Toilet training in the late 1920's must have been something. Anyway, she didn't fight the setup, but didn't pee until after she'd fallen asleep. It works brilliantly, but was so noisy I was afraid she'd wake up through her pain-killer haze, but she didn't. The suction unit sounds exactly like what it is, a high-speed tiny Shop Vac.... if our LO's can sleep through it, it is a godsend. 

Did you look at the pricing!?!? The wicks themselves cost about $7.50/8-12 hours unless they become soiled with feces, in which case you must replace immediately with a fresh one. Ka-ching! The website emphasizes very clearly that no insurance will cover this. 

let14intohof

my wife used one at the hospital.  She didn't like it and kept removing it.  It isn't really "inserted."  It more like is between inserted and lying on the surface.  If it's well positioned and doesn't move AND you have the suction set up properly, it works well.  But those are a lot of qualifiers.  They are really quite expensive for basically a sponge hooked to a suction and a canister.  I think if a person were completely immobile it would work fine....

​fesk

Thank you both for your replies. 

Your post made me curious about the noise, zauberflote. I called the company and they said it's 13db. If that's true, it shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks for your feedback too, let14intohof. I do worry about having it set up correctly and it being comfortable.

It's definitely an expensive gamble but, if it works, it could solve a lot of issues and protect my mom's skin better. We do not wake her at night to change her, so this would hopefully keep her dry. Plus, when she wakes early in the morning, the caregiver is calling me to help change her which defeats the purpose and I'm still not getting sleep.

I guess not too many people have actually tried it.

mommyandme (m&m)

I was thinking about it as an option.  Moms hospice nurse was not a fan so we never tried it.  If I remember correctly, the nurse mentioned skin breakdown as a reason.  I think I’ll ask again and see.

harshedbuzz

fesk-

I think there was a poster on the spouses' board who used it herself in the hospital following a surgery and was impressed by it. But in her situation, it was meant to be a temporary alternative to a bedpan. 

HB

​fesk

I have also heard the skin breakdown issue being brought up which I don't fully understand. If we are not waking my mother at night, I would think it would have to provide better skin protection than that. One of my aides mentioned sores but said that was because it was being used and not being changed as it's supposed to be.

We would only use it at night. If you can ask, m&m, I would greatly appreciate it. I would like to better understand that concern.

Thanks, harshedbuzz. I also only know of someone who used it in the hospital temporarily.

mommyandme (m&m)

fesk, here’s what our hospice nurse said about the pure wick… hope this helps 

“Well one we don’t cover it, so cost can be a burden for families, and finding it/getting another physician to order it, and 2) if the family is not changing them every few hours, the urine sits against the skin on the cloth part of the pad, yes it does get attached to a suction machine that pulls the urine through, but it’s comparable to wearing underwear that has some urine in it, right against your vulva.  Just not as sanitary.  It can also slip and move out of place, and can be uncomfortable for some people”

I must say, as Ive said before, I also didn’t change mom at night but I used desitin liberally every change. The nurse and CNA were always very happy with her skin and we never had any skin breakdown issues. I know things work differently for everyone depending on everything. 

​fesk

Thanks, m&m.

I am soooooo undecided. 

Just a DIL

Long time lurker here.

I have a friend with MS who uses it and loves it. She is walker or wheelchair dependent and has bladder control issues. Making it to the bathroom fast enough all night is a combination of almost impossible and a bit dangerous considering her fall risk. 

She has used ideas from Facebook groups to find work arounds to reduce the cost as her insurance, like most, does not cover it. I’m sure you could find more info and experience through a group there.

Good luck!

​fesk

Thanks for the feedback, DIL.

Amorous

I purchased a Pure wick and it helps with keeping my mom dry in the evening while she is sleeping. So we aren't having to change her too often or interrupt her sleep. Plus since my mom doesn't cooperate too often with providing urine samples (she gets UTI's regularly). The Pure wick is attached to a machine that collects the urine. So we are able to use the urine to test for UTI. I think it is helpful. It doesn't get inserted into you. You just simply place it longwise, still with a diaper and it absorbs the urine quickly. I seen it at the hospital and it's a great invention.

​fesk

Thanks, Amorous. Appreciate the feedback.