By: Jill Ramsey

Dealing with incontinence is hard, and finding the right incontinence supplies only makes it more difficult… Why does the spelling of the item also have to be so hard? Can’t we just all spell it the same way to make my life just a bit easier? I’m trying to get some adult bed pads to keep my mom’s bed dry at night, and I simply can’t figure out which one I need. Some places are calling these protectors underpads, others call them disposable bed pads, and most have a variety of options including chux, bed chucks, hospital bed pads, incontinence pads and waterproof bed pads. How am I supposed to know which one I need?!

Well now I’ve done some research into this, and my life only got a ton more complicated and I’m left totally confused. Besides for the spelling (bed chucks or bed chux?) there seems to also be a ton of different option for these incontinence supplies. I see I can choose either simple bed pads or hospital pads, chair pads or wheelchair pads, reusable underpads or disposable underpads… and the list goes on and on and on.

So I’ve decided that they are really all the same and made for the same purpose. Don’t let the names fool you. When a person is suffering from an incontinence issue and needs some extra protection on the bed or furniture, a bed pad is needed and will make things so much easier (no matter what you call it!). In fact, once you understand what bed chucks can do, all you need to do is find the right size and absorbency level and your life will be so much calmer.

Spend some time finding and choosing the correct incontinence supplies. Don’t get overwhelmed the first time you start looking and then settle for something that is not right. Finding the right underpads – or overnight diapers or pull-ups – is time consuming and lots of times frustrating. Sometimes you will have to try multiple types, sizes and absorbency levels before you find the right incontinence products. However, once you find the right one, life will be so much easier for everyone involved – take it from me.

To sum it up: don’t let the spelling or different names throw you off, stay strong, look for the right product and life will once again get back to normal.

 

To learn about the differences between bed pads, chucks and underpads, check out our informative bed pads guide.