www.incontinentsupport.org

How are you managing your stock of diapers (or pull-ups) for the Coronavirus pandemic? How many diapers are you stocking? How many are too much?

Some incontinents seem to be going about "business as usual" with a minimum stock of diapers while others are stocking extra diapers in anticipation of a possible shortage. A few seem to be almost hoarding diapers.

I am concerned with how long the pandemic will last and, perhaps, the even longer delays in diaper manufacturing and delivery.

While there does not appear to be a shortage of diapers in the U.S. at present, I would note that many diaper manufacturers are located in China. At least some Chinese diaper factories reportedly have been converted to making masks. In addition to diapers themselves, most SAP used in diapers in the US comes from China.

I also will note that Northshore Care has stated that they do not anticipate a shortage for their diapers. That is very good news as I use their products.

Currently, I have on hand sufficient diapers for about two months. Normally I keep a one-month supply.

I also have worn cloth diapers and plan to begin wearing cloth again during the day to reduce my usage of premium disposables. As we are quarantined at home no one will notice the bulk.

What about you guys and gals?

--John
(double incontinent)

I too was wondering about a shortage of incontinence supplies occurring due to the Coronavirus and was happily surprised to read the message from Adam at Northshore that there was no near-term supply issues. In my case I'm in pretty good shape as well before the pandemic I've had several opportunities to buy diapers at wholesale and I really stocked up to the tune of having nearly a years supply.

However it's the ancillary items like wipes, alcohol, and guard pads where I only have a few weeks supply on hand. Although I haven't ventured out to check I've been told that alcohol and wipes of any kind are nearly impossible to find. I don't know about the availability of guard pads where I usually buy them (Walmart) but I did just order some (as well as their excellent wipes) from their website with home delivery in a week. Toilet paper is in very short supply but is being rationed and small amounts are available in our area. With this in mind I've tried to reduce my usage of all disposable items to a minimum and have been using my cotton insert pads much more often and regular cotton wash cloths instead of wipes whenever possible.

I'm in a really good place stock wise.

At the start of the year I burned a bunch of flex money on $1500 in disposables and a set of 14 cloth diapers and pants. I'm using cloth 95% of the time now, so I'm doing great stock wise. I have enough detergent, vinegar and borax to last me a few months. So as long as my washer and dryer don't break I'm good. They better not, they're not even four years old.

Honestly I’m worried. I have enough to last me until my next pay day on the 3rd and maybe a week or 2 beyond that. I don’t have the luxury of buying months or a year supply as I’m on disability. It’s all very stressful.

I, like many others am retired and on a fixed income. Though it is more than sufficient, managing my incontinence isn't inexpensive. I think we should be communicating with our congress members about adding some incontinence coverage to insurance and medicare coverages. We should also push AARP and other advocacy groups to add this need to their campaigns. Beyond my doctor and a few very close relatives I have been reluctant to discuss incontinence and how it affects my life and finances. I expect there are many for whom the cost of managing this issue is a much greater burden. We may never have a better opportunity to change things than now.

I have sufficient nighttime diapers for two months. I have to reorder pull-ups for daytime use. However, I’m wondering if it’s still safe to use public restrooms during the pandemic.

So far, so good here. The first COVID 19 cases were recorded yesterday, so the peak may be two to three weeks in the future. It will test our order to shelter in place when it does. Because I'm a cloth user, I may be less stressed than folks who use disposables.

I just reviewed the latest charts on the rate of increase of Coronavirus in the U.S. and other countries. It does not appear that the pandemic will suddenly end any time soon.

A friend of mine who is a Physician's Assistant (and also double incontinent), said that he now has 6 cases of premium diapers stocked up. Initially I thought that to be excessive. However, that remains to be seen.

Re cloth, recall the old adage, "If you wear cloth, you never run out of diapers!" I have my old cloth diapers, but cannot find the diaper pins!

Regarding booster pads, do note that a small booster pad can help convert a "cheap" diaper into an acceptably performing diaper. I said "small" as the width between the leak guards in many "cheap" diapers will not accommodate large booster pads.

Also note that wearing an absorbent cloth pullup between the diaper and plastic pants can extend the absorbency and period between changes by catching any overflow. This is my normal practice. I started using it successfully at night.

Padded noted his concern re ancillary items and I agree. As I also am bowel incontinent and use enemas to manage it, I need wipes and absorbent underpads.

--John
(double incontinent)

JD,

If you can get to WalMart, they have 3" stainless steel pins. Our local WalMart is open for grocery purchase, so you might be in luck.

A few weeks ago, I bought 2 cases of BetterDry - that works out to be 4 months of overnight diapers. That was fortunate timing. There is only one reliable supplier of BetterDry here in the UK and they tend to run out quickly, then go 2-3 weeks without any. While taking stock to see how long I could go without ordering, I re-discovered all the diapers I had bought over the last few years, but weren't suitable for wearing to work. That included six bags of Abena M4. Those, combined with my regular stock of Tena Slip means I can go at least two months. I have already started wearing the M4s when at home - I forgot how comfortable they are! My regular supplier is confident that they will be able to keep up with demand as soon as the panic buying slows down. We already have nearly full supermarket shelves again, with just a few items still being difficult to find.

I also have some cloth diapers. I don't normally use them, but they are there just in case.

In short, I didn't need to stock up - just clean out the closets a bit.