Incontinence Care Begins with Compassion and Communication
TenderHeart understands the difficulty many people endure in living with incontinence and it’s our mission to provide exceptional incontinence care to those in need. We know talking about incontinence, even with your doctor, can be difficult or uncomfortable. But our compassionate approach, built on communicating with patients and actively listening to them and their concerns, helps find the right solutions for their specific needs.
Our model for incontinence care puts the patient first. We’ll provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions. Our incontinence coaching from our patient advocates will ensure you understand the options available to you, and how to use them properly. We believe when you understand incontinence, how the products work, and how important the right sizing, fit and other factors are in your treatment, you’ll find the right incontinence care and see improved outcomes and results.
What is Incontinence?
An estimated 25 million adults in the United States have daily urinary incontinence with another 33 million suffering from an overlapping condition known as Overactive Bladder, according to data from the National Association for Continence. The good news is most cases of urinary incontinence are treatable and manageable. The first step is getting informed.
Incontinence, or the loss of bladder control, can range from occasional leaks when you exercise, sneeze, cough, or laugh, to urges that are so strong you are unable to make it to a bathroom in time. When you urinate, the muscles in your bladder contract and move your urine into the urethra, while the muscles around the urethra relax in order to allow urine to exit the body. Incontinence typically occurs when these muscles relax without warning or by problems with the muscles and nerves that help the bladder in holding or passing urine.
The four basic types of incontinence each come with their own challenges and include:
- Stress — Loss of urine when you laugh, sneeze, exercise, etc.
- Urge, or Overactive Bladder — Loss of urine after the strong urge to urinate
- Mixed — A combination of more than one type of urine loss
- Overflow — Your bladder doesn’t completely empty when you urinate, resulting in leakage between bathroom breaks
At TenderHeart, we know that proper incontinence care comes from understanding all of the factors that influence your incontinence. We’ll take the time to learn about you, your situation, and the type and severity of incontinence you’re dealing with. From there, we’ll help you understand the type of products you need for treatment and explain how they support you.
Why the Right Product is Important for Incontinence Care
At TenderHeart, we recognize the growing need for quality products and patient-focused care when it comes to treating and managing incontinence. We know the questions to ask to get you the right product with the right fit. We have experience in finding solutions that deliver better medical outcomes for patients. And we’ll respect your dignity throughout the process with regular communication to make sure your needs are consistently met.
We invest in frequent dialogue with patients so that you can learn to manage your condition earlier and prevent serious complications. In delivering continuing incontinence care to both pediatrics and adult patients, we can find and address issues that many patients face, such as:
- ‘Double padding,’ where patients use more than one product at a time for added protection
- Patients experiencing leakage due to an incorrectly sized product
- Patients using low quality products
- Patients using products with lower absorbency than needed
If these issues persist or are ignored, they can lead to further medical complications:
- Reduced sleep
- Lack of trust in the product, leading to an increase risk of falls due to rushing to the bathroom
- Skin breakdowns that can result in sores, ulcers, and infection
- Urinary tract infections
- Limited social isolation that can lead to anxiety or depression
Incontinence Care Product Solutions
Talking with one of our patient advocates will help you identify your leakage type, your type of incontinence, and the frequency of your incontinence. We even offer gender specific products. Together with information about your mobility, your living situation, and other health factors, we’ll work with you to find the right product to begin your incontinence treatment.
Knowing and understanding the products available is important for proper incontinence care. TenderHeart works with all manufacturers and brands to provide different levels of incontinence treatment for each of the following product types:
Bladder control pads
Absorbent pads designed for light urine output. The pad is discreet and attaches to underwear; the polymer inside the pad absorbs liquid and locks in moisture.
Male guards
Bladder pads uniquely designed to fit the male anatomy. Discreet and designed to handle light output, male guards are tapered for better urine collection.
Pull Ups/Underwear
Underwear replacements that handle medium to moderate leakage. Discreet when worn properly, they prevent leakage from traveling down the leg and dampening clothes.
Adult briefs
Refastenable, tabbed briefs that fit under clothing, these items offer the highest protection of any product along with the largest coverage area. Briefs can be used for both urinary and fecal leakage.
Booster Pads
These supplemental items are designed to be used WITH another absorbent product. Booster pads are not waterproof and can NOT replace the use of other incontinence products.
Incontinence Treatment
At TenderHeart, we work with you to find the right incontinence treatment for your individual needs. Learn how we can help here.