When it comes to getting older, some adults may be faced with incontinence. From bladder leaks to diaper dependence, adults will be making adjustments to their daily lifestyle in order to accommodate this new change.
What comes along with diaper changing, isn’t just the task itself but the aftermath of the odor. Adult diapers are a lot different than child diapers in just the amount of space they take up in the home. They also tend to produce a lot more odor simply because – well I’m sure you know why.
When adults are faced with incontinence they are often also faced with isolation. Not knowing where they can change their diapers or pads, and being embarrassed if others can smell it. All of this can take a toll mentally and physically.
Research has linked isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions including high blood pressure, obesity, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, and even death.
I’ve been in healthcare for over 12 years. I started out as a medical assistant, and worked while I was in nursing school. My first three years of my nursing career, I worked at a skilled nursing facility (SNF)/Long term care (LTC). During those years I was faced so many new challenges. On top of my medication passes, assessments, and wound changes, I had to always keep dignity, and resident autonomy at the heart of everything I did.
Would it have been so much more convenient for me to give Mr. Smith his insulin injection right outside the dining hall? Absolutely. But I had to take him to his room for privacy, administer the insulin, and return him to the dining hall. Easier, didn’t always mean right.
We were also having to stay on top of the trash no matter how full it was because just one adult diaper in a bag will smell up the entire wing in no time. But with limited time, and staff, this was hard to manage all the time.
This goes for in-home management as well. Adults that are trying to preserve their independence may choose to live at home with caretaker visits to handle the heavy lifting like vacuuming, and taking out the trash.
So what happens to the soiled pads and diapers between care taker visits? More often than not, these are just disposed into the regular trash and sometimes masked with sprays or trapped in bags. Unfortunately, the scents fade and the odor passes through the plastic and the smell is pungent throughout the home. This can be embarrassing for them and discourage them from having visitors or from leaving the home altogether.
Lack of odor management is a driving force for older adults to stay reclused.
What can be done?
The best way to eliminate the odor from adult diapers is to combat it at the source. The only product on the market to do that is Diaper Dust.
Diaper Dust is different - it uses the most direct odor elimination method to neutralize odors without just containing it into a plastic bag or covering it up with a fragrance. It is sprinkled inside the dirty diaper before you throw it away it maximizes the odor eliminated ability of activated charcoal and baking soda to capture the odor before it leaves the rolled-up diaper. No matter what kind of receptacle the diaper is placed in, it will control the odor from within the diaper and not seep out into the bag or into the plastic.
If you forget to use Diaper Dust inside the soiled diaper before throwing it away, simply sprinkle the powder directly into the trash (make sure there is a bag inside**) Some customers have even stated that when they place Diaper Dust directly into the trash, the odors that seemed to stick in the plastic started to get neutralized as well.
Diaper Dust is a simple, effective way to eliminate adult diaper odor and gives incontinent adults the ability to maintain their dignity in their own home, or out in public.
Are you a caregiver? Check out Diaper Dust for your clients and loved ones!