Posts Tagged ‘special needs’

Pull Ups for Older Kids

Monday, April 12th, 2010

We sometimes get questions from parents whose children have outgrown or are too large for the pull-up disposable pants that are found in the grocery stores. They mention that the adult Depends are too large or not absorbent enough for their kids. With camp and overnight obligations, these families are at a loss as to which products might work for their children with bedwetting.

We are happy to have some product suggestions for you. These products are not commonly found in stores but are available from us on-line. The extended size selection-youth, extra-small and small- is great for older or larger children. These products are not marketed specifically for youth or children but can provide some beneficial alternatives for keeping kids dry.

General guidelines:
• Products designed for youth have sizes measured in pounds (child’s weight)
• Products designed for small adults/older children have sizes measured in inches (measure waist size)
• Adult sizes are generally cut with a longer rise, but shorter persons can fold the elasticized upper portion inward to customize the fit

Alternative Pull-on Products for Older or Larger Children

Attends Underwear Super Plus Small 22 – 36 in.

Prevail Underwear Youth/Small 20 – 34 in.
Small 22 – 36 in.

Tena Extra Underwear Small 25 – 35 in.

Tranquility Overnight Disposable Underwear Extra Small 17 – 28 in.
Small 22 – 36 in.

Alternative Tape-on Products for Older or Larger Children

Tranquility Slimline Briefs Junior 28 – 42 lb.
Extra Small 18 – 26 in.
Small 24 – 32 in.
Medium 32 – 44 in.

Tena Briefs Youth 17 – 22 in.
Small 22 – 36 in.
Medium 34 – 47 in.

Touch Sensitivity

Monday, April 13th, 2009

DK writes that her daughter is very sensitive to touch and refuses to wear a wearable alarm. Are there any other options for her?

There are many different styles of moisture sensing alarms available. The Rodger wireless alarm consists of two pair of cotton specialized briefs with moisture detecting threads sewn in. The small transmitter simply snaps onto the waistband and the sound comes from a unit plugged into the wall. She would have to be comfortable wearing these briefs with the 1”x1” transmitter on the waist. They are no different than other cotton underwear and do not have a lot of elastic around the waist or leg openings.

If she prefers to wear no clothing or underwear to bed, a mat type alarm would work for her. This style includes the Malem Bedside or WetCall Pad Type alarm. These pads are placed on the bed inside a pillowcase or under a towel. Once the pad becomes wet, it alerts your daughter and you that she needs to get up and go to the bathroom. Over time, she begins to stop the flow of urine and get up more quickly. With this type of alarm, there is nothing that needs to be attached to your daughter. The sound unit could lay on her bed or be placed on a bedside table.

You can ask your daughter which she thinks she would prefer using, while reminding her that using an alarm is the most effective cure for bedwetting. If she’s ready to get to dryness, this is the way to do it.

Special Needs

Monday, March 30th, 2009

TF writes to ask about daytime toileting suggestions for her 8 year old daughter who is developmentally delayed. Mom writes that when she or her daughter’s teacher toilet her at regular intervals, many times she will release her urine in the toilet. The problem seems to be that she hasn’t been able to put together what it feels like when she needs to urinate so that she can anticipate when she needs to go to the bathroom. Many times when they check her pull-up, it is wet but they have no way of knowing exactly when the wetting occurred.

The Malem Recordable Alarm is a great solution for situations like this. The Easy-Clip sensor fits on the outside of her underwear to sense the first drop of moisture. (If she is in a situation where she cannot wear cloth underwear, a Standard sensor can be ordered which fits into a pull-up). Once the moisture is sensed, a message that you’ve recorded or a pre-recorded sound is played. You can record any message, but something like, “Mary, you need to go to the bathroom now” could be her reminder that she needs to stop what she is doing and go to the bathroom. Her teacher and you would also know precisely when the wetting was occurring so you could assist her with toileting. Over time, her brain would begin to make the association with a full bladder meaning it is time to go to the bathroom. We have had many reports from parents who have used this technique to enable their children with special needs achieve daytime dryness. This alarm can also be used for the nighttime, but I recommend that she become reliably dry in the daytime first.