The cost of incontinence containment products is significant and estimated to be around £80 million per year for the NHS (NHS, 2018). These costs can be reduced with good continence care, part of which is the appropriate selection and use of products. It is crucial that when a containment product is required, it ensures optimal comfort and protection for patients and speed and ease of use for the care giver. During the repeated application of continence products, carers often need to take up an awkward posture and this in some cases could lead to repetitive strain injuries (NHS UK, 2020) and physical stress on the body, commonly the back, resulting in back pain, a major cause of sickness absence among NHS workers (Smedley et al, 2012). Less disturbance and manual handling may have the added benefit of improved patient dignity, as incontinence is known to impact on quality of life (Sinclair and Ramsay, 2011) and leave patients in social, emotional and mental disarray (Hajjar, 2004).

What is MoliCare^® Premium Elastic?

MoliCare^® Premium Elastic is a new generation all-in-one incontinence slip for moderate to heavy incontinence. It has been specifically designed to offer more advanced comfort and security for the patient and quick and easy application with less physical stress for the care giver.

The cost of incontinence containment products is significant and estimated to be around £80 million per year for the NHS (NHS, 2018). These costs can be reduced with good continence care, part of which is the appropriate selection and use of products. It is crucial that when a containment product is required, it ensures optimal comfort and protection for patients and speed and ease of use for the care giver. During the repeated application of continence products, carers often need to take up an awkward posture and this in some cases could lead to repetitive strain injuries (NHS UK, 2020) and physical stress on the body, commonly the back, resulting in back pain, a major cause of sickness absence among NHS workers (Smedley et al, 2012). Less disturbance and manual handling may have the added benefit of improved patient dignity, as incontinence is known to impact on quality of life (Sinclair and Ramsay, 2011) and leave patients in social, emotional and mental disarray (Hajjar, 2004).

What is MoliCare^® Premium Elastic?

MoliCare^® Premium Elastic is a new generation all-in-one incontinence slip for moderate to heavy incontinence. It has been specifically designed to offer more advanced comfort and security for the patient and quick and easy application with less physical stress for the care giver.

1. Comfort and security

MoliCare^® Premium Elastic has features that help the wearer to feel more comfortable and secure, including:

• Two elastic side panels that allows MoliCare® Premium Elastic to stretch and conform to adapt to different body shapes and movement. The elasticated side panels are also soft, helping to prevent skin irritation in the folds of the skin by preventing digging in and rubbing.
  
  MoliCare^® Premium Elastic combines the prevention of leakage and odour control with active skin protection. It features Curly Fibre technology which is a specially processed type of cellulose fibre which is softer, has improved absorbency and improved distribution of fluid in the pad. The curled fibres are placed near the soft, breathable innermost lining sheet, close to the skin and backed with normal cellulose and a super absorbent polymer core (Beguin et al, 2010). Urine and faecal incontinence can disturb the delicate pH balance of the skin and so the advanced absorbency and fluid distribution of MoliCare^® Premium Elastic keeps fluid away from the skin preventing irritation and increasing comfort (Beguin et al, 2010).

• To ensure the MoliCare® Premium Elastic is changed when the absorbency has reached capacity there is a wetness indicator on the backsheet. This is a line of blue squares which will blur or disappear as the product needs to be changed, giving extra security to the wearer. It is recommended that a product be changed when four fingers width remain un-blurred at either end of the indicator.

2. Quick and easy application

Two re-closable tapes result in an application of four steps compared to the eight steps required with a traditional slip with four-side panels and four tapes. This offers a potential 20% time saving and easier application for the care giver. It can also improve patient dignity through less disturbance and manual handling of the patient (Schneider et al, 2015).
 

3. Less physical stress

The quick and easy application of MoliCare® Premium Elastic offers evidence-based ergonomic use. In an independent study undertaken in a French hospital, MoliCare® Premium Elastic reduced care-giver body stress by approximately 24% when compared to a standard incontinence slip. Specifically, there is less strain on the:

• Shoulders and arms – 25% less upper arm stress and 31% less forearm stress
• Wrists and hand – 24% less stretch on the outstretched arm and 24% less stress due to hand rotation
• Fingers – 34% less stress in pinch position, 22% less stress in all-finger grip and 19% less stress in the semi-open hand position
• Back – 18% less back twisting and 21% less back bending (Schneider et al, 2015).

Selecting MoliCare^® Premium Elastic for wearers

MoliCare® Premium Elastic has an extensive range of sizes. Measurements should be taken at the waist and the hips with the largest of the two selected. More information is available at www.hartmanndirect.co.uk/incontinence-pads/all-in-ones.

There is also a ‘drop’ guide to enable selection of absorbency, ranging from very slight to extremely severe incontinence. The flexible sizing guide enables the slip to be tailored to the individual’s size and continence needs. However, should leakage occur, it is advisable to check the application first and select a different size or absorbency if required.

There is a four-step fitting guide for wearers in the standing and lying position. The product is gently folded lengthwise to create an anatomical shape with the cuffs angled inwards to form a boat shape and inserted from the front to the back to reduce the risk of infection.

MoliCare^® Premium Elastic application videos in the lying and standing position and fitting guides are available at: www.hartmann.info/en-corp/customers/l/corp/molicare/app-elastic.

For best results it is recommended that MoliCare^® Premium Elastic is used in conjunction with the MoliCare^® Skin products which are designed to clean, care and protect the skin from the detrimental effects of exposure to urine and faeces, while not affecting the absorbency of the products.

What do patients say about MoliCare® Premium Elastic?

A number of MoliCare® Premium Elastic wearers have reported that the slip fits comfortably, feels soft and secure and was quicker to apply than other products, which resulted in less handling and a better experience when being changed (HARTMANN, 2017). Another wearer described how he/she felt extra support across the abdomen when wearing MoliCare® Premium Elastic compared to a traditional slip (Coleman, 2020).