Blog

Incontinence and Pressure Care

Ambassador Lift and Recline chairs can be custom made to assist in pressure care management and prevention of complications associated with severe incontinence. Read here for more information and management suggestions by Ambassador lift and Recline Chairs.

Types of Incontinence Explained;

Urinary Incontinence

•  Stress Incontinence: This type is caused by weakened muscles of the pelvic floor. Even something as small as a sneeze can cause leakage.

• Urge Incontinence: Also called having an overactive bladder, urge incontinence means not being able to get to the bathroom on time. This type is often caused by nerve or muscle damage.

• Overflow Incontinence: This happens when someone is unable to relieve urine from their bladder due to some kind of blockage or muscle/nerve damage. Overflow incontinence can happen in men with enlarged prostates or persons with tumors in the bladder/urinary tract and pelvic region.

• Functional Incontinence: This type means that bladder, urinary functions, and pelvic muscles function normally. However, due to cognitive or physical impairment, the individual is unable to get to the bathroom on time.

Fecal Incontinence

Also referred to as bowel incontinence, fecal incontinence is when there is leakage of fecal matter. There are several known causes, anal muscles which occurs during surgeries and vaginal childbirth. Other causes include diarrhoea, inflammatory digestive diseases, certain medicines, nerve damage, and cognitive impairment.  (i.e. Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, etc.) (WebMD, 2018).

Unmanaged incontinence of any type can lead to secondary medical problems. Incontinence combined with prolonged sitting or sedentary position can lead to the following scenarios:

• Urinary tract infections: UTIs are not only uncomfortable and dangerous when left untreated. Causing fever, trouble with or painful urinating, discoloured urine, and cognitive disorientation. Long-lasting infection can severely impact the kidneys.
• Pressure ulcers: Pressure ulcers often occur due to sustained pressure, rubbing, or friction against the skin. This process happens when someone sits or lies down for a lengthy period of time. Pressure ulcers display in levels of severity, depending on how many layers the wounds break through. Levels range from Stage I to Stage IV, from a surface wound to and non-healing skin break all the way through the bone and to the muscle tissue. Non-healing pressure wounds make an individual much more susceptible to infection as well as death.

Lifestyle Choices

Chronic and unforeseen medical conditions can cause severe incontinence complications. For example, individuals who struggle with transferring, performing any type of pressure-relieving techniques, or who have decreased sensation from the waist down, are at high risk.

Since severe incontinence is already difficult to manage in a bed or a regular chair, why not provide the affected person with a recliner option that is suitable and tailor-made to ease the routine. Ambassador recliners can be custom made in a wide variety of options for individuals who have both severe movement limitations and incontinence. One option is cushion cut-outs that allow for a special pad insert to minimize skin breakdown. ROHO cushions are commonly used in wheelchairs and power chairs specifically for people who struggle with getting in and out of the chair independently. ROHO cushions have quadrants that fill up with air via an air pump, which can be inflated to whatever firmness the user prefers.

Seating Recommendations and Pressure Care

Ambassador lift and recline chairs assist in the management and prevention of complications associated with severe incontinence. They can custom make the range in Carrflex stretch fabric, which is a electric lift and recline chair that allows for a custom cut-out for a mid-standard ROHO pressure care cushion. The fabric is non-slip, has a 4-way stretch, and can be safely sterilised with bleach. Fabric pieces can be easily unzipped from the seat cushion and the back cushion. If an individual requires a leg lift but is still at high risk for sores, a custom cut-out for any pressure care can be made on the leg-lift cushion.

Aside from custom pressure care cutouts for pressure-relief, the mechanics of a Ambassador recliner can be very beneficial for an individual with severe incontinence as well as immobility. Reclining the Ambassador lift and recline chair at various angles allows for pressure-relief for the buttocks and thighs. This also better assists the user and caregivers in removing incontinence pads, tissues, and materials for sanitisation.