How one resident’s skin issues brought about improvements for all

Napier Street Aged Care is a small, close-knit centre in Melbourne with a holistic approach to resident care. With 62 beds and a combination of permanent, respite and palliative care, staff and management are always assessing ways to improve to ensure residents are as comfortable as possible.

When one permanent resident was suffering with continence-related skin issues in his groin area, staff looked for ways to help reduce his discomfort. And help came in the form of TENA Skin Care and TENA Flex incontinence products.

Gabriel Villaflor, Clinical Care Manager explained, “We were using Depend pads and an anti-inflammatory and zinc cream but the inflammation wasn’t easing. Our TENA representative introduced us to TENA Skincare and within two weeks, using TENA Wet Wipes and TENA Barrier Cream along with changing to TENA Flex belted products, the inflammation eased. I was surprised.”

TENA Barrier Cream is ideal for skin at high risk. It is used between pad changes to provide a water-repellent barrier to protect skin from external irritants. 

“Our carers also love the TENA Wash Cream and Skin Lotion,” Villaflor added. Both can be left on the skin and help to restore the natural moisture balance to reduce the incidence of skin tears.

Continence and skincare are closely linked and for residents with incontinence, the repeated wetting and drying of the skin can make the affected area more susceptible to damage. In an independent study¹ at the University Hospitals Birmingham 87 percent of nurses surveyed found there was a skin-protecting effect with TENA Wash Cream. It also found the number of patients suffering from incontinence associated moisture lesions was reduced by over 70 percent through regular usage of TENA Wash Cream.

In addition to good skin care, using incontinence products with breathable materials will reduce the moisture on the skin and improve the skin health and comfort for the wearer. TENA Flex for instance, features ConfioAir™, 100% fully breathable technology.

Napier Street now continues to use TENA Skincare and has implemented the use of TENA pads, pants, shields and Flex for everyone with continence issues. TENA offers a range of styles, sizes and absorbencies so each individual’s needs are met. Getting the fit, style and absorbency right can impact both comfort and costs. “Our costs have gone down and we have actually reduced the incidence of leakages, and the associated laundry costs,” said Villaflor. 

With the help of TENA, Napier Street is improving their continence care outcomes with additional education on product use and toileting. And the residents are sure to benefit well into the future.

References

1. P.A Begg et al. Non-rinser skin cleansers: the way forward in preventing incontinence-related moisture lesions? Journal of Wound Care, May 2016; 25(5).