www.incontinentsupport.org

Hi, my mother has incontinence and she lives with me. Now, I have to be out of country for five months (on deputation ). Sadly my only option available is to move her to an assisted care living. I want her to be really taken care of. Since I am out of country, I won't be able to check on her personally, and that worries me. My friend told me about this assisted living facilities in Oregon.I called them up, and I am going this Monday to check out the place. Could someone please tell me what to look for when I am there? How do I know if the place is fit for people with incontinence? Please advise!

Since you're focusing on incontinence, I would ask 4 questions: how often are patients checked and changed, what is the ratio of staff to patients, and what brand of diapers do they use (cheap vs good brand), and if your mother is mobile, would they let her use pullups and handle her own toileting. The 1st three questions enable you to know whether or not she'll be sitting in wet diapers for long periods of time.

Thank you for taking time to reply. These questions are definitely going to help me. Thanks again!

Some states have rules which govern the management of incontinent patients. Usually these rules specify that these patients be checked and changed at least every two hours. Going through as many as twelve diapers per patient per day means that cheaper diapers will be used. Fecal and urine smells, and the heavy odor of the cleaners and deodorants used to manage them are tip-offs that a facility may be understaffed and that incontinent patients are not being cared for properly. Good luck finding a suitable place for your mother.