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I need my fellow caregiver's help/advice. My husband (later stage Alzheimer's) has issues with his balance (leans severely to the side) when he isn't well hydrated, so I give him lots of water, which seems to be the only thing that truly helps. I'm blessed that he still sleeps through the night - but when he wakes up in the morning, he is soaked and the bed is soaked. He's incontinent, so he wears CVS brand depends 24/7 - and I put the 'maximum absorbancy' on him. To protect the mattress, I have a mattress pad and a waterproof pad in between the mattress pad and the sheet. Almost every morning, I have to strip and wash him, the sheets, the pad, etc. I am getting better sleep because he sleeps through the night, so I really hate to wake him up to go - and was wondering if anyone has a better suggestion for a thicker product I can put on him - or do - to prevent this daily routine.

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For Willows - my husband has pull ones. We hate tabs so until he is bedridden we won't have them. I had gotten some but were too big. So I called their customer service and told them his height and weight. In every thing else he takes XXL, but in his diapers he is only a medium. And they fit fine.
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We use 2 of the cloth pads and 2 disposable pads and it works great for us
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Thanks for the tip, Edahmen. However, I went in and I don't think I'll be using them. I want slip-ons; don't want to have to fiddle with straps. Besides, my hubby isn't bedridden so slip-ons are not a problem yet. But I think I will have to go to a smaller size. I think what I have been using are just too large for him, thus causing lekage.
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My husband is 76 and has vascular dementia and has been incontinent for several years. He outgrew Depends dome time ago. I get awesome supplies from North Shore Care on line. Their overnight diapers really do last overnight. The daytime ones generally last all day unless he sits too long. Really has cut down on laundry. They deliver over night via FedEx and the customer service is great. One shouldn't think the only things available are in the drug stores.
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I cannot limit water intake during the evening. He often wants water before bedtime because he gets thirsty. I cannot deny him water when he needs it.
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If you can sew you can add the tuck in strips yourself to the washable pads. may be cheaper than the commercial ones too
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Thanks so much Flipperboy. I'll look for the pads that tuck in, which should help a lot. I have a king bed, but being able to tuck them under on his side of the mattress should keep them in place better. I opted not to use the Goodnights after all (the pads that stay put with adhesive) because there were so many complaints from user reviews that the adhesive ruins sheets. I did find something that helped quite a bit. I found some really effective nighttime pull-ups - and then added a big booster pad inside and between the two of them, they seem to catch most of the urine. If it does leak out, the bed pad usually catches any run-off. Anyway, I'm washing sheets only a couple of times a week now, rather than every day or twice a day. One less thing to stress about - lol! Thanks so much for the great suggestions everyone!
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Hi I just saw this post my mother has the same problem I called around to the medical health supply stores and found several different options for this problem I got what is called a soaker pad it goes on top of the sheet tucks in on the sides of mattress to stay in place and when accidents happen you just wash this pad and dry it they come in whatever size your mattress is they work very well and safe having to wash the entire bedding
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I wanted to thank y'all again for the great suggestions. The CVS pads I bought are soaker pads and work great, but they move around alot because my husband moves so much. I think they are a better solution for under the sheet - on top of the mattress pad. I'm going to stop by Target today to get some Goodnights that 'mywetwife' suggested to put on top of the sheet since they adhere to the sheet and may stay in place better. I've also ordered some Wellness diapers on-line to try to see if they will contain most of the urine overnight. Anyway, I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks so much again - it's so great to know I have a support team on this site. Hope your weekend is awesome!
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tena makes a overnite pad that works well with leakage you could try that chucks are good would he sleep on mattress cover im just thinking it would be easier to wipe it down then
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try buying soaker pad they are a great size.

It works perfectly.

google sugical supplies stores os shoppers drug mart...google as well.

sharon
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If you are having trouble with the disposable pad over the top sheet moving around as he moves at night, you might also try a Goodnights bed pad. They stick to the sheets very well, and can be reused if you find a diapering solution works most of the time.

Have you tried Wellness diapers? Three a day is cost effective for my wife and she can be as hydrated as she needs.
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Awesome!
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Well done!
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First, I wanted to thank you all for the great suggestions - I really appreciate it. Second, I wanted to provide a follow-up to a couple of your suggestions that I tried. I bought a CVS brand (they're less expensive) 30"X 34" reusable waterproof sheet pad (waterproof on bottom-clothlike on top) - and put it on TOP of the sheet for my husband to lay on. It was a little weird for him, but he cooperated. The first night, this almost worked, but some of his urine went onto the sheet because the pad had shifted - so the next morning, I had to wash the sheets, the pads, his under clothes and him. The next night, I tried using the CVS pad again but put an extra pad in his CVS depends. Voila! The next morning, he and the pads were wet, but the sheets were dry - yay! Washing him, his under clothes and that one pad is a lot better than stripping the bed every morning. I still have the mattress pad, the waterproof pad UNDER the sheet - just in case, but this new routine is so much easier and quicker each morning. I'm also going to try limiting his water intake in the evening, but wanted to try this first since the fluids are so helpful for his balance and leaning issue. Thanks so much again!
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My mom uses a maximum absorbency Poise pad inside of her Depends at night. Also, years ago when I was expecting a baby, a friend who was an OB nurse told me that if my water broke at home, to put a disposable baby diaper inside my underwear because it was much more absorbent than a maxi pad.
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Give him water up until 3 pm then no liquids at all until morning.
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There is a product called Guards. It is like a maxi pad but designed to be put in male underwear for those who have some control. They are wider in the front and give better protection than a maxi pad. You just stick them inside the Depends
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Wow I never thought of that. That is genius using a maxi pad. Thank you I have to try that.
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That's a lot to change in the mornings. Do you think maybe the size depends he's wearing is too large? Maybe he's recently lost weight and now their sagging on the sides.

Here are some things to consider:

Is your husband on diuretics? If so then give them in the morning.

Try to limit water intake in the evenings. Cut off fluids 2-3 hours before his bedtime.

You can get maximum absorbency maxi-pads and line his depends with that.

If you're doing these things and he's still experiencing soaking, then you can get something called a condom catheter and change it once a day, if you don't think he'll pull it off.

Hope that helps,

Aisha
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The waterproof pad you're using sounds like a "chucks" pad. Thin cotton on one side and plastic on the other side. Have you tried putting that pad right underneath your husband in addition to between the mattress pad and the sheet? Heck, you can even put two under him or as many as you need to keep the sheets dry and to keep you from having to strip the bed every morning.
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