Follow
Share

I have to share that I'm just so thankful for the modern conveniences of adult diapers and plastic-lined bed pads when dealing with incontinence. My mom takes advantage of both of these luxuries. But, she was telling me that when her grandma lived with them when she was a child, she was incontinent, and her mom got so frustrated trying to clean up after grandma (I can only imagine). Also, I read the book "Heidi" to my daughter, and I couldn't help but wonder how the old bed-bound grandma dealt with bathroom issues? She slept on a bed of straw...how in the world did people deal with incontinence back then? Can you imagine the smell? I truly am thankful for the modern conveniences when dealing with aging parents and grandparents. I just can't imagine how difficult it must have been.

This discussion has been closed for comment. Start a New Discussion.

10 Comments

Newest
First Oldest
First
I know that my grandmother did a LOT of laundry.
(2)
Report
All diapers were hand made, and as cwillie above mentioned, there was a lot of laundry.

Even back then women didn't even have Kotex type products, they had to use rags, and washed them out. Thus an old insult that some men use to use regarding women being "on the rag".
(2)
Report
People also succumbed to hygiene related death/infections both more frequently and more quickly.
(1)
Report
       Every time I cleaned up my mother and father, I thought of that, and was sooooo grateful for adult pull-ups and large wipes with lotion. I would also think of the many people even nowadays trying to take care of an incontinent elder who can’t afford these products or don’t have access to them.
       I have granchildren, so we have watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory many times (the one with Gene Wilder - the Johnny Depp one is just disturbing), and every time they show the boy’s poor mother taking care of all four of his bedbound grandparents, I get distracted from the movie while wondering how she kept them all clean!
(3)
Report
Disposable diapers might have been available in the 1960's but they were not something found at the local store and the quality certainly wasn't as good as today's products, my grandfather had a wooden commode with a shelf for the chamber pot under the seat and I know that my grandmother had him use it as much as possible. I don't know how she protected the bed, probably a plastic sheet. Unless he was sick she always had him dressed and shaved and sitting up in the living room every day, they didn't have a walker and he was very unsteady so that must have been so hard to accomplish.
And imagine doing all that personal care without the benefit of disposable gloves (shudder), although I guess she might have used the kind available for doing dishes?
(2)
Report
My grandparents didn't have indoor plumbing when my grandfather first had his stroke so they put a toilet in his bedroom.
And my grandmother did her laundry with a wringer washer and hung the clothes on the line.
She was so grateful when they moved to town!
(2)
Report
Does anyone else remember rubber pants that went on top of cloth diapers? I remember my father wearing those when he was bedbound.
(5)
Report
Oh boy, girls I guess you are not as old as i am. As a student nurse in the late 50s we MADE the incontinence products called them INKY pads a layer of brown wool, a layer of white then wrapped the whole thing in gauze. Everything cut by hand. Very sore thumbs from the scissors. Never saw an adult diaper in those days but baby ones were in use which I did use when traveling.
I would still use cloth diapers if I had a baby now, probably make them myself
My babies all used cloth diapers covered with plastic pants
(5)
Report
Veronica....just wow. Thanks for the reminder of what we have to be thankful for.
(2)
Report
WendyCSea. I'm certain people suffered back in the day before the advent of modern incontinence products.

Veronica. I second your comment regarding being thankful for today's modernity's.

Surprise. Yuppers, I remember. All 6 of my children were diapered the old-fashioned way with rubber pants over safety pinned cloth diapers.
(2)
Report
This discussion has been closed for comment. Start a New Discussion.

Recent Questions


Popular Questions


Related Questions

Start a Discussion
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter