Incontinence and Laundry Products
Incontinence and laundry products for care homes and NHS settings, covering continence pads, pull-up pants, bed protection, and specialist care laundry solutions to maintain dignity, skin integrity, and CQC continence care standards.
Incontinence and Laundry Products for Dignified Continence Care
Clinical Summary: Incontinence affects a significant proportion of care home residents, and appropriate continence product provision is a fundamental component of CQC dignified, person-centred care. Products should be selected through individual continence assessment to match absorbency level to the resident continence profile, and laundry solutions should comply with infection prevention and control standards for the decontamination of continence-soiled textiles under HTM 01-04 healthcare laundry guidance.
Incontinence and Laundry Product Categories
- Continence Pads and All-in-Ones: Shaped, all-in-one, and rectangular continence pads in light, moderate, and heavy absorbency levels for urinary and faecal incontinence management, selected through individual continence assessment to match the resident incontinence profile and skin condition. Over-specification of absorbency reduces the incentive to toilet and can increase skin maceration risk — matched specification is clinically important.
- Pull-Up Pants and Washable Products: Disposable pull-up pants for more active residents maintaining toileting independence, and washable reusable continence pants for environmentally conscious procurement and residents with lighter incontinence where reusable products are clinically appropriate.
- Bed and Chair Protection: Disposable bed pads and washable waterproof mattress and chair covers providing surface protection for continence-related leakage, maintaining bed and furniture integrity while protecting pressure area management mattress surfaces from moisture contamination.
- Care Laundry Products: Specialist care laundry detergents, conditioners, and soluble laundry bags for the decontamination of soiled textiles in care home laundry operations, meeting HTM 01-04 thermal disinfection standards for care home laundry to reduce cross-infection risk from continence-soiled linen.
Clinical Compliance and Continence Care Standards
CQC inspections assess whether care homes provide appropriate continence care based on individual assessment, with evidence of product selection matched to resident need rather than blanket provision of a single product type. NICE guidance and the Continence Care pathway recommend individual continence assessment covering fluid intake, bladder diary, mobility, cognition, and skin condition before product selection. Care home laundry for continence-soiled items should comply with HTM 01-04, achieving thermal disinfection at 65°C for 10 minutes or 71°C for 3 minutes to reduce pathogen load on soiled textiles before reuse. Soluble laundry bags enable safe no-contact transfer of heavily soiled linen directly from bed to washing machine without opening the bag, supporting both staff infection protection and HTM 01-04 handling standards.
| Product Category | Primary Application | Key Clinical Consideration | Key Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-in-One Pads | Moderate to heavy incontinence | Matched absorbency to assessment | CQC Dignity Standards |
| Pull-Up Pants | Active residents, light to moderate | Supports toileting independence | CQC Dignity Standards |
| Bed and Chair Pads | Surface protection, leakage management | Pressure care surface compatibility | NICE / CQC |
| Care Laundry Products | Soiled textile decontamination | HTM 01-04 thermal disinfection | HTM 01-04 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How should continence products be selected for care home residents?
A: Continence product selection should follow individual continence assessment covering the type and volume of incontinence, resident mobility and cognition, skin condition, and toileting goals. CQC expects evidence of individualised assessment rather than blanket provision of a single product for all residents. Products should be reviewed regularly as continence status changes. Over-specifying absorbency is a common error that can reduce the motivation to toilet and increase skin maceration risk from prolonged moisture contact.
Q: What temperature should care homes wash continence-soiled laundry at?
A: HTM 01-04 healthcare laundry guidance specifies that soiled care home laundry including continence-soiled items should be washed at 65°C for a minimum of 10 minutes, or 71°C for a minimum of 3 minutes, to achieve thermal disinfection. Care homes using domestic laundry equipment should confirm the machine reaches and holds the required temperature for the specified time, and should use appropriate disinfectant laundry products if thermal disinfection cannot be confirmed.