Incontinence & Catheter Education

Incontinence is defined as the involuntary loss of bladder or bowel control. 

Roughly 25 million adult Americans experience some degree of chronic incontinence, stemming from a variety of causes, although two-thirds of men and women age 30-70 have never discussed bladder health with their doctor.   Thusly, only one in eight Americans who have experienced loss of bladder control have been diagnosed.  Statistically speaking, men are less likely to talk about it with friends and family, and are more likely to be uninformed about the underlying causes and treatments, products and services available nowadays to them.

The National Association For Continence (NAFC) estimates that 75-80% of urinary incontinence sufferers are women, 9-13 million of whom have bothersome, severe, symptoms.  It is frequently considered by most people to be a common condition of aging; however, incontinence is actually only a symptom of some other physical or medical problem, such as prostate surgery, serious injury, neurological disorder or childbirth, in women.  Consequently, research reveals that one in four women over the age of 18 experience episodes of leaking urine involuntarily, and from triggers as simple as sneezing, coughing or laughing.

One-third of men and women ages 30-70 have experienced loss of bladder control at some point in their adult lives and may be still living with the symptoms.   That’s where CarePoint Medical’s incontinence program comes in.

We offer a wide selection of products to help incontinence sufferers control their leakage and still maintain active, confident lifestyles. 

We have the most popular brands and styles of disposable undergarments and pads used by the majority of customers across the country.  In addition to FREE home delivery anywhere in the U.S., we also offer significant cash savings to customers who are looking for a bargain.  Enrolled in Medicaid?  We can bill most states’ Medicaid programs for 100% of the cost of an enrolled individual’s incontinence undergarment product needs, as well.

Additionally, we offer a full-line of catheters and sterile procedure kits for those who manage their urinary incontinence through catheterization.  Medicare increased their monthly coverage allowance for intermittent catheters to up to 200 straight or curved-tip (coude) catheters per month (120 per month on average coverage by Medicaids) in order to eliminate users’ need to wash and reuse intermittent catheters.  By allowing for a new sterile intermittent catheter to be used for each episode of cathing, Medicare (and states’ Medicaid programs) have reduced healthcare expenditures tied to urinary tract infections (UTI), such as doctor’s office visits, prescription drugs regimens, and surgeries or other expensive treatments necessary to kill off serious infections and to strengthen patients’ immune systems.

There are as many six types of incontinence, which vary in their severity, triggers, underlying causes, and so on.  Each of the types (listed below) are best managed with a specific category of disposable incontinence undergarment or catheter.  We are proud to offer the most popular and reliable brand names like Depend, TENA and Covidien (formerly Kendall), as well as widely-used, top-quality, money-saving alternatives.

Stress Incontinence is typically light leakage occurring directly from abdominal pressure caused by coughing, laughing or sneezing.  Stress urinary incontinence, is the most prevalent form of incontinence among women, affecting an estimated 15 million adult women in the U.S.

Studies have indicated that as many as 50% of men report leakage due to stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in the first few weeks following prostate surgery after removal of the catheter.  In approximately 20% of men, some degree of SUI will continue to be a significant problem one year post-surgery.

A portion of these individuals also experience urge incontinence.

Urge Incontinence / Overactive Bladder (OAB) affects about 17% of women and 16% men over 18 years old.  An estimated 12.2 million adults have urge incontinence.  OAB and urge incontinence refer to the continuous feeling of urgency and frequency to urinate, causing many adults over the age of 40 with OAB to not be able to reach the toilet before losing urine.

This form of incontinence is found nearly twice as often in women as it is in men; and, unlike some types of incontinence, it si associated with with aging.  Women who have OAB run an increased risk of additional health disorders such as obesity, arthritis, and hypertension.

Fecal Incontinence is the inability to control the bowel.  It has been estimated that more than 6.5 million Americans have fecal incontinence.  33% of elderly people at home or in a hospital experience bowel control problems; and even seven percent of healthy people 65 years & older experience fecal incontinence.  There is also evidence that 2.2 % of all women who have delivered one or more children experience fecal incontinence.  Vaginal delivery with the assistance of forceps has been shown to be a cause of clinically significant pelvic floor dysfunction, which can lead to this dysfunction of the bowel.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) may be considered a type of “hernia” in which the pelvic organs descend or shift within the pelvis, and in some cases, protrude outside the vagina.  Being another form of incontinence possibly related to aging, approximately half of all women over age 50 complain of symptoms associated with prolapse.

Though only 10 to 20% of women who have given birth one or more times experience symptoms of POP, as many as 50% have some degree of genital prolapse.  Changes in connective tissue during pregnancy, pressure and weight of the uterus on the pelvic floor, weight gain of the mother, trauma to the pelvic floor and connective tissue during vaginal delivery, abdominal straining during labor, and ensuing nerve damage all promote POP; and it is very rare for someone who has not had a child to experience this type of incontinence.

Enlarged Prostate/ Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is characterized by urinary frequency, urgency, nocturia, weakened stream, and incomplete bladder emptying experienced by the majority of men in the U.S. by the time they reach their senior years.

One’s prostate usually completes growing by the end of puberty and remains the same size for many years; but in cases where it begins growing again, frequently by age 40, incontinence may occur or begin after prostate surgery.  This the leading cause of incontinence in men as they get older.

Bedwetting (Nocturnal Enuresis) is estimated to afflict more than 5 million children in the US.  It is described as nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting); and a surprising 2-3% of men and women older than eighteen never regain nighttime dryness.