#AD This is sponsored content written by #CaregiverDave in partnership with Depend® brand. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
DEPEND IS HONORING CAREGIVERS BY PROVIDING A FREE CAREGIVER TOOLKIT AS SUPPLIES LAST. (SORRY, WE HAVE EXHAUSTED OUR SUPPLY AT THIS TIME)
SEE MORE INFORMATION ON THE FREE OFFER AT THE END OF THIS BLOG!
I am so happy for my friend, Linda Byce, who had been a caregiver, first for her dad, but then again for her husband for over 11 years before he recently passed away, causing her to transition into yet a new life after caregiving, which can be very difficult for many people to do.
Let me explain: In 1991, Linda married the love of her life, David.
On Christmas morning, 2006, at 2:30 a.m., Linda woke up to find her husband in cardiac arrest. By the time she got him to the hospital, they didn’t think he would survive. But it was a Christmas miracle, because he did survive, however, he would never be the same again.
After a month, I drove him home, literally as a new born baby. He had no memory of anything, in fact, it was like his hard drive had been erased. He needed disposable underwear, drank from a baby bottle, watched cartoons, and colored with crayons. She went from having a husband, to having to care for someone who only had a 15-minute memory, and could never mentally advance because every 15 minutes he would forget everything he just learned. Linda became his caregiver for the next 11 years.
This is just one example of the many heart-wrenching stories from the caregiving community. These precious souls who selflessly care for their loved ones, who have become dependent for a v
ariety of reasons, are the true heroes because of what they go through each and every day, sometimes for years.
Not everyone’s story is as dramatic as Linda and David’s, however caring for a dependent person can involve common conditions, like incontinence. In fact, nearly 65 million Americans experience bladder leakage in one form or another. Many incontinent patients are experiencing side effects of disorders, such as prostate cancer surgery, stones, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, brain injury, spinal injury, stroke and the like. Caring for incontinence can be very challenging, but there are products that can provide comfortable solutions. Depend FIT-FLEX Underwear now comes in more sizes for better comfort, and is designed to fit and feel like real underwear for all body shapes and sizes. Depend brand is committed to breaking category stigmas and developing products that provide comfort, protection and confidence Here are a few tips when caring for someone who experiences incontinence:
* Sometimes the best approach is to have a plan for the different scenarios that might arise, whether you’re at home or on the go.
* If you’re leaving the home with your loved one, one good practice is to make sure they’ve gone to the restroom before leaving the house. You might even consider packing a to-go bag, which could include emergency medication, water and Depend FIT-FLEX® Underwear. Contrary to what many might think, drinking water when you have incontinence can help your bladder from feeling irritated.
* Another way to prepare for a trip outside the home is to find the locations of public rest rooms ahead of time. Make sure they’re easily accessible, but also clean and comfortable for your loved one.
* If you’re caring for someone with dementia, it might be helpful to stock their drawers with Depend FIT-FLEX® Underwear, rather than regular cotton underwear. In a scenario in which your loved one experiences incontinence away from the home, they can feel comfortable and confident despite their condition. Additionally, with more sizes than before, Depend FIT-FLEX® Underwear provides a better fit for all different body shapes and sizes.
* You might also consider setting clear daily and nightly routines to establish rest room times for your loved one. Outside of their schedules, Depend FIT-FLEX Underwear can offer people the protection they need to avoid unpleasant accidents or leaks.
In celebration of National Caregivers Day – TODAY, and for the next eight weeks, Depend® brand would like to honor Linda Byce, and all of the amazing caregiver heroes like her, who share similar stories of selfless determination and bravery, and for exhibiting that exceptional caregiving spirit that keeps them going, even when many would be tempted to simply give up or quit.
The Depend® brand is giving away up to 50 Caregiver Toolkits. To receive a free Depend Caregiver Toolkit,
50 FREE CAREGIVER TOOL KITS