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Hello - My mother was recently placed on palliative home hospice care. We're working with the medical pros to make certain that she is comfortable, happy and at peace. My challenge is changing her. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to change her diapers? She has very fragile and has very little mobility so we must do pretty much everything, we try to be gentle, efficient and fast, but it's stressful for her so of course it's stressful for us. Any suggestions on a fast and effective way to accomplish this. By the way we have a hospital bed so i hope this will make it easier. Any and all insight will be appreciated. Thank you! Best wishes with your senior loved ones

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Do you have any nurses coming to help you? If so, ask them to show you a"roll-over" technique. You said "us", so im assuming you have help. Make sure you have not the pull-up kind, but the depends that opens on the sides like a baby diaper.

Have your helper stand on the other side of mom.
Open diaper.
Roll mom towards your helper. Your helper not only holds her up, but is also the main for comforting mom.
Pull the diaper out and give mom a good washing.
Place a fresh diaper under her. Bunch a little under mom.
Roll mom onto her back and then slightly towards you, your helper now pulls out that bunched part.

This technique puts the least stress on your mom without having her to help or to lift her.

Best Wishes!
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kellybean said it all. This is what I do. I am alone most of the time but you just have to go from one side of the bed to the other alot. Talking to your mom while doing this helps. and make sure the bed is up high so you don't get a back ache. Good luck.
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Just a quick suggestion, but baby whipes are great for everything and it could make clean up easier.
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KelleyBean, after you remove the soiled diaper and before you start washing "the bottom" do you have to put a towel down so that the bedding doesn't get wet? After patting dry "the bottom" do you put anything on the skin before putting on the clean diaper? Do you ever leave the area open to air dry if the room is warm enough? Thanks for the info.
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I am not kellybean but at night I just lay a diaper under mom so her bottom can get air. You need to turn her every two hrs any way so she does not get bed sores if you do not have am air mattress or sponge mattress on the bed and than you can clean her and put a fresh diaper and pad under her. I put cheap diaper rash med. with zinc in it on her and lots of vasoline. You can get paper or cloth underpads and hospice will supplie this stuff for you. Ask lots of questions they are full of info.
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I changed my husband's "diapers" or paper panties, as I preferred to call them, by sliding them under the butt and taping the two sides, like a baby's diaper. I found this method easier than the pull-up diapers which are the most commonly used for adult incontinence. No need to change anything else when you use the taping diaper.
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Thanks, ksue5036.
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During Mom's ER visits last fall and then four day hospitalization, they just didn't use diapers or insert pads at all. They used those big disposable pads that protect the mattress and sheets. The patient could call for help to go to the bathroom or portapotty, or they just went on the pad. They even used parts of that for wiping the body. Then roll it up tight to dispose of it. The nurse said it is easier all around and not having pads/depends admits more air to the area. So, is this now standard procedure in all nursing homes and hospitals.

Thanks for starting this thread.
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I don't like those great big things that suffice for diapers. No one likes them. You can get those regular paper panties yourself and put them on the patient in addition to their pads.
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The best way to clean and then "rediaper" is to wipe as much as you can into the old diaper and then place a towel or bed protector under her to wash. Make sure she is completely dry, maybe a small amount of powder, NO BABY POWDER, as that tends to have a little bit of oiliness to it. Medicated powder DOES work great and you an buy those in large bottles at even the dollar store. The thing about it is, bacteria loves moist, dark, hot places. Rashes and sores will happen a lot quicker if not kept as dry as possible. If your mom wants to umm "air out" a bit. If she's comfortable with it haha, why not?

And yes, make sure you change her position every 2 hours. The skin on the joints. Like elbows, ankle bones, shoulder blades and especially the bottom, they can become very nasty if not relieved regularly. If shes laying flat on her back, even adding a pillow or taking one away is good and placing pillows to elevate her arms will give a good position change. A rolled up towel under her Achilles heals too.
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My mom is now living in a nursing home. Just couldn't handle her any longer. Took care of her for 5 years, and it just got way too much for me by myself. Anyways, in the home they are very good at changing her diapers. The aids there do it in about 5 minutes. First they take off the old diaper. Then they tell mom to turn onto her side and hold on to the hospital beds bar. She they cleans and drys her, and gives her new pads if needed. Then she puts the new diaper down on the bed, tucks it under her as much as possible, and then tells mom to turn to the other side and hold onto the bars. She then has the diaper down and she tells mom to let go and just lie flat as she fastens the diaper. It's all done in about 5 minutes....Hope this helps.
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Thanks, KelleyBean, I guess none of us know when we are going to have to deal with changing an adult's diapers. I have found this thread very informative.
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kellybean pinkcaddy is right. I've done it so much, and learned from the caregiver myself so I can actually do it myself in about 5 minutes too. I just have to make sure I open a window when she poops cause sometimes I feel like I'm about to fall out :)
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My sis has gotten sick. So far I have only got a little dizzy. :)
What is really hard is when she had eight arms. I could not keep her hands out of the mess and clean her at the same time. That is when you have to yell. HELP!!! Never be ashamed to ask for help or you will go crazy.
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Sometimes i just like to put a adult pullup on mom. It is harder in some ways but easy in others. Try them you might like it better than a diaper . Start at the feet and pull up till you have to turn her than pull up some more. Than turn ,pull ,turn till it is up all the way. When changing a dirty one just rip off. or cut off. They are easy to tear and no mess going down the legs. Good luck and I agree with pamela open a window. :)
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Thank you so much for sharing all of your insight. Found some of the ideas especially helpful. My mom passed away but we managed to keep her as clean and comfortable as possible during her last few days. Best wishes to all of you!
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for those that are still reading these comments, using Aloe-Vesta for perineal cleaning is a real winner- it is pricey but well worth it if you want real clean- baby powder only clogs up and is so moist it breeds bacteria
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to help cut down on bed messes, use a incontinence bed pad. you can get them big enough so that they will protect the bed so you don't need to change the whole bed in case anything leaks or is messy.
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So sorry to hear about you mom Dgrant115. Bless you all.
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Everyone has offered the perfect suggestions for helping you keep your mom clean! I had to do the same things with my mom and when she died in February the hospice nurses were amazed that I was able to prevent her from ever getting a bed sore. I loved the no-rinse bath towels that you put in the microwave. I used them along with the no-rinse body wash (for an extra good cleaning) and we also used the no-rinse shampoo cap (it's amazing what clean hair and a few rollers can do as a morale booster!). I bought these products at Amazon.com and my local Rite-Aide and Wal-Mart also carried some of them. I also used Cavilon Durable Barrier Cream every time I cleaned mom up. Also, I always used Origins Ginger body cream on my mom's fragile skin. It has a lovely scent which made my mom feel "pretty" and it kept her skin moist. I used the Origins Ginger body powder as well -- I never had any problems with using powder on my mom, but it is something to think about. During the day, whenever I took my mom to the potty (she couldn't walk but we could lift her onto the potty) I used baby wipes instead of toilet paper to wipe her. Here are a few tips on preventing those nasty bed sores:

The most important tip I can give you: avoid prolonged pressure on any one part of your mom's body.

Change her wet diapers and/or clothing often to avoid skin contact with her urine.

I only learned this trick after my mom died, but you should limit raising the head of her bed above 30 degrees because this can allow the skin to slide over the bed surface which could cause skin damage.

Change your mom's body position at least every 2 hours and place pillows under her ankles to keep her heels off the bed.

If you don't already have one, get an air mattress -- it is a god-send!

Good luck to you and remember that you are in my prayers.
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very good insights! This should be helpful to anyone facing this challenge. Peace and blessings to you - I know that your mom loved and appreciated such loving care and pampering!
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DGrnt115: I am sorry for your loss. Keep praying for your mother. May she rest in peace and find eternal happiness.
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Hi, my mother is in a skilled nursing home and is bedridden and parayzed on her right side due to a massive stroke. The problem we are experienceing is that my mother has developed a extremly painful diaper rash that has broken skin. She is in pain everytime she urinates or has a bowl movement, which is 10x or more changes a day. We change her as soon as she soils herself but this has not helped her because she has still has a rash. I was wondering if anyone has a sure fire treatment for this painful problem. We want to help her stay as comftorble as possible. She is nonverble because of a massive stroke but the pain she expresses kills all of us! Please help us.
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Wounds and skin integrity are a big concern with bedridden seniors. There should be a wound nurse evaluating her weekly. If not, I would talk with the DON about having this done. At minimum the facility should be using a barrier cream of some sort, if there is no allergy to them. There are many effective dressings that can assist with healing the area, while also providing comfort and additional protection, such as Duoderm. Make sure she is being cleaned properly by cleaning from front to back and pat dry completely. Depending on the severity of the skin issue, she may benefit from a special mattress, such as a low air loss mattress. A last result measure would be to use a urinary catheter short-term to keep the urine away from the skin, as it is very acidic. I hope this helps. I was a wound nurse for a year and would be happy to answer any further questions.
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all i have is a pull up and i am bymyself this women is to weak to get up and i will have to change her in bed how do i get this new pull up on her while she is lieing in bed
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OK, two things: First the issue of rash. Depending upon were the rash is exactly, I would certainly consult with a wound care specialist, and in the meantime, you could try Desitin, a common topical treatment for rashes. This can be found in the baby department at almost any supermarket. Use generously on the rash.
Now the diaper situation: Pls try the wrap around diapers with tape on each side. It's a little easier to put on and take off than the pull-up diaper. Can be found at a good pharmacy or market.
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I just became a private caregiver, this helped a ton! Thank you
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CLEAN them first with the cleanser u use before surgery can get at Walmart, them u put the kind with tape , under them on one side folded. So u can pull when they go to the other, then you rol them to the other side u dont have to walk on the opposite side it take about 5 me nutes if there is new t a lot to wipe always clean with this cleanser it gets everythi g off them
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My mother has been bedridden for 6 months. Her problem is mostly no strength in her legs, and she tires easily. The diapers were giving her a pretty sore bottom, even if changed promptly. Our solution was to use a low sloping bedpan and the roll over technique almost like using a transfer board, then for in the middle of the night I have a basket hanging on the side of the bed that is stocked with the Poise pads and wet wipes. My mom can easily handle the smaller pad to simply hold in place as she urinates, uses a wipe and tosses into the bedside trashbin. It's worked really well for us. My mother feels capable of seeing to her own needs if they are urgent (upon waking), there's no sore bottom and I get a good nights sleep. Trying to use the diapers in the same manner was not so successful, way to cumbersome for mom to handle easily. We do keep a pad on the bed in case of accidents but this has been very effective and easy. .
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Hi! I have cared for my mother since a massive stroke in 1988 (she was my age then!). She recently became bedridden and I am trying to learn the techniques myself. One word to the wise I can add is, besides the opening of a window, try putting Vicks mentholatem under your nose so the stench is not so bad!
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