Lotta info on this forum which I have found helpful. Here’s a Q I haven’t seen and it’s not all that critical but still:
When my wife began wetting the bed I covered it with blue polyethylene tarp from Horror Fright - worked just fine. I was told about fitted vinyl sheets and used that instead. Last week I went to turn the mattress over and around and there was a big stinking wet spot under that vinyl sheet. Well!!!!! I immediately used my hard won cleaning-messes-off-the-carpet skills and fixt it up. I then put a folded double blue tarp (polyethylene) under the ‘protective” vinyl sheet till I could figure what to do. It, of course, got wet thru the vinyl sheet but protected the mattress.
Next I noticed my wife seemed to be sweating profusely in bed at night (also soaking sheet and pillow case) and further study revealed the vinyl sheet causes that problem evidently especially in the elderly because it doesn’t breath. Well if it doesn’t breath how come it leaks?
Next again, it seems protective sheets made with a layer of polyurethane between layers of other coverings prevent the sweating. Because it breaths! How can it breath and not leak?
Do the polyurethane sheets really work? ie no leak no sweat?
Are they worth it?
Is there another solution?
Have you any experience with these sheets?
Oh yes - there are mattress covers and mattress pads and and…..
The best waterproof mattress pad that I have ever used was purchased with our sleep number bed. The high end ones recommend using a waterproof mattress pad to protect the memory foam from sweat. It was amazing and it lasted a long time not running it through the dryer.
This “waterproof” (hah) vinyl sheet was bought 03-01-18 on sale at Sears belly up sale and installed perhaps 2 weeks later and therefore has been in use about 1 year. Obviously it started leaking before the year was up IF indeed it ever did not leak. (if it ever did not… ? Hmmm) $13.66 w/tax gives 0.03743466 cents per day for a year..
Anyway I bought 3. I always buy 2-3 of these things - sometimes that’s a good thing; sometimes not. I will install a new one over the old and initiate an experimental test program to see it it leaks. Employing the best experimental technique possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the new sheet - I will run my hand under it.
We had a mattress protector, a waterproof sheet, bed pads and Chux (disposable plastic backed absorbent pads) on her bed. Fortunately, nothing got through to the mattress.
I think the secret is layers of absorbent material. The problem is that people shift positions and the absorbent things move with them.
I would then purchase a new mattress and cover it entirely with a plastic zip up mattress cover. Then put down an easy to machine wash comfy plush fitted mattress pad. (Buy 2 so that you have a backup while one is in the laundry.) Next, put on comfy high thread count white cotton sheets (2 sets of white, so that they can be bleached and you have a back up set). Lastly, put a disposable waterproof bed pad down. My dad likes the ones with adhesive on the back that holds it in place. For some reason he doesn’t like using the cloth mattress pad that I got him. It’s all overkill at this point, now that he’s using Tranquility brand disposable diapers, but he insist. Good luck.
What brand of bladder control do you wear ? I need a brand that does not leak for my mom . Thank you so much .
Gina324
I will study and incorporate all your advice in as timely fashion as practicable for my situation. Can’t do it all at once. Thank you. I was looking for advice (surely hard won) from people like you guys in the trenches rather than from the product sellers’ sites; each one of whom seems to have the ultimate solution.
I might add I liked the vinyl sheets (queen) because they lobbed down over the sides and ends below the mattress. I had the box springs covered with blue tarp and the sheet then taped to the tarp below the intersection of the mattress and boxspring. For quite a while my wife might stand leaning back against the bed and "let go" so my fix ensured that it ran off and on to the floor instead of in between the mattress and box spring. Of course, the floor was protected and easy to clean up. Well, the dynamic has changed and that hasn't happened for a few months but it might again. Hope someone an use that idea.
For Mom I place the mattress cover directly on the mattress, then a top sheet from an old set (top sheets outlast fitted sheets) and then the fitted sheet. For several years when Mom just had occasional drip problems overnight, that was all we used since the light incontinence panty caught most drips. Since Mom's last fall and mobility loss, she has been using the incontinence panty in bed because she just can't get up fast enough. So now we also use a XL cotton bed pad (36x72) with a vinyl backing I found on Amazon placed across the sheet. Usually, Mom's incontinence panty doesn't leak but when it does the bed pad catches it. I wash with laundry soap and white vinegar but never bleach or any other laundry additive. I've never had anything get through to the mattress. Good luck developing your own workable setup.
I had to Google this> how to administer a bed pan < It was amusing. The dummy was so cooperative. First I’ve ever seen how to do it.
When I was 17 in a hospital they guv me a bed pan with no instructions. I got all the paper tickets ready in a convenient pile then squatted over the pan like out in the woods, did my thing then lay down right quick before the nurses came back. Geez! I was 17 been doing heavy lifting all summer - top shape no fat all muscle - they were 21 and gorgeous -ran their fingers thru my hair - what would you do? Met my wife when I was 37 and she couldn’t keep her fingers out of my hair. Never could. We all have our cross to bear. :-)
Anyway she’s not capable of the bedside commode. Perhaps the commode might have worked up to 3-4 months ago. Wish I had tried that; never thought of it. Mostly she sleeps anymore. Getting her up from bed is usually but not always difficult. She tries to cooperate but I can see the mssg just isn’t getting thru from her brain to her body. Occasionally she will say, “I’m trying.” I’d have to get a narrow bed too cause ours is queen size and lifting or rolling her would be a bent over lift - not good anytime and especially at age 84. She’s 88 about 125#. She is the sweetest thing and if it comes to a bed pan I will (now that I know how) but probably won’t be physically able to “do it all” and have to give up.
Oh! On the street it is Horror Fright.
You are quite the husband, your wife is blessed to have you.
Best of luck. Prayers...
This particular brand is called Conni and the one I got (comes 2 to a package) absorbs about 80 ounces of fluid. Washable. They worked wonders!.
I could not find much on your profile and I have not gone through every response (just got back from a vacation and catching up on email) so I do not know what size bed you have or if my next suggestion is even possible.
Hospital mattresses are much easier to lean off than a regular mattress. Is it possible to change her bed to a hospital bed? My Husband did not want to sleep in another bed so I pushed the hospital bed right up against our bed and he would get into bed and think it was the same bed. If you do not want to get a hospital bed if you have a King size bed you could get a Twin XL mattress for her side and a traditional Twin XL for your side. You could use the same sheets as a regular King or get Twin XL sheets for both. If your Wife is on Hospice they can provide the mattress for you or both the hospital bed and an airflow mattress.
A little "I know what you mean" story here... my Husband would sometimes leak through the briefs, the pad, the sheeting, the toweling that I put under the sheets and the urine would run onto the floor! (he was in a hospital bed by the time it got this bad!)
I looked into the Tranquility Premium Overnighters. Their web site offered a free sample (2 undies) - just answer some questions then get it. It didn’t take so I phoned em up and the woman asked my wife’s dimensions. Well she’s about 5’1” or 5’2” and about 125 lbs (113 on our wedding day 45 years ago, down from 118 for the occasion) [she made her wedding dress still hanging in our closet :-)] Anyway the gal said my wife was right on the line between Small and Medium so she sent me 2 free samples (2 Small and 2 Medium). Pretty nice don’t you think?
The Adult Small is 22-36” and is equivalent to Youth XL. The Medium is 34-48.” So I’ll commence to check em out. I think she said they’d leak if too tight.