Close to one in ten adults in India face urinary incontinence. And since you’ve landed here, you, too, would know someone facing the discomfort of an overactive bladder, hence creating a strong demand for adult diapers.
In these situations, adult diapers are one’s perfect go-to. They can hold up to 10-12 litres of urine which is far more than the daily urine production of 800-2,000 millilitres. Adult diapers are gender-agnostic, which means they can be used by people of any gender.
Adult diapers come in different types, and picking the right kind to maximise utility is critical. A poor pick of diapers can sometimes become a nightmare for the user and their caretakers.
Two main types of adult diapers are Tape Style and Pant Style. They both have their own uses, so it depends on the use case of the patients. Here is how you can pick the correct type of diaper for yourself.
Pant Style Adult Diapers
Pant-style diapers are for people on the go. They are as easy to wear as underwear and are easy to adjust because of the elastic waistband. It prevents leakage for people who do not want to hinder their freedom to move because of frequent urine urges.
They are also called, and rightfully so, the pull-up diapers. They provide a comfortable fit and are easy to wear and remove.
How to use pant-style diapers
However, pant-style adult diapers offer a resolution to only moderate leaking issues as opposed to tape-style diapers, which provide higher urine absorbency.
The person must be seated to wear these. They must place their legs in each opening and slide the diaper towards them. Then they can get up, fit the diaper by their waist and tighten it.
To remove the diaper, just pull it down.
Tape-Style Adult Diapers
For people who require more urine absorption and are not too big on going out or engaging in physical activities, tape-style diapers should be their go-to!
Also called sticker-style diapers, they have sticker tabs on the sides that can be adjusted for a securer fit. As mentioned, they are ideal for people with heavy urine leakage as they offer more durable protection.
So adults with minimal physical activity should prefer tape-style diapers.
How to use tape-style adult diapers
Lay down the person on a bed or a similar arrangement. The caregiver must sanitise their hands before opening the diaper and wear a pair of latex gloves, for additional care.
Fold open the diaper carefully without touching the insides of the diaper to avoid contamination. Prepare it by softly folding it lengthwise without forming any creases.
Ask the user to lie on one side and place the diaper through their legs. Once through, spread it sideways — from both front and back. The side with tapes goes in the behind, and the one in the front is tapeless.
When lying on one side, tuck the diaper in around the waist. So when the user turns straight, the caregiver has access to that end.
Once straightened, fasten the tapes on the back panels on the frontal tape surface. Sticking the tapes obliquely will provide a better grip for the user.
Adjust the leak guards (the middle patch that meets the thighs) with the index fingers to smoothen out the edges, preventing leakages and providing a better bit.
Alternative way to wear a tape-style adult diaper
It can also be worn in a standing position. The user should spread their legs and bend them a bit to place the lower panel of the diaper in between. Remember to sanitise your hands and check the frontal and back panels of the diaper before wearing it.
Fan out the rear of the diaper and fasten the tapes on the tapeless surface in the front. You can also check if the wetness indicator (if your diaper has one) is parallel to the spine, in front of a mirror.
Like in the sleeping position, stick the tapes obliquely and smoothen out the diaper’s edges.
Conclusion
We cannot claim which of the two types of adult diapers is better. It depends on the person’s usage. So once a decision has been made accounting for factors like movement, fit and access to caregivers, urine incontinence should be less of a hassle.