John is an 82 year old man who suffered a stroke some 16 months ago. A previously fit and healthy man, he found himself in the terrible position of being paralysed down his left side, with no functioning arm and leg. He has been in and out of rehabilitation hospitals and has spent over a year in a nursing home. Now he remains bedridden or confined to a recliner or wheelchair. For most of that time it seems to have been assumed that he is incontinent. He was catheterised almost immediately when still sick and weak. Catheters are an uncomfortable intrusion into the urethra with a fine tube, which then drain the urine into a plastic bag attached to his leg. They can be painful to wear and can lead to irritations of the penis and sometimes infections. When this method proved unsuitable John was obliged to wear incontinence pads, day and night, sometimes for very long periods between changes, resulting in a wet bed. This is not to denigrate the excellent care he received from his nurses, it simply reflects the dire shortage of staff prevalent in most care homes. John would sometimes ask for a bottle, he could still feel when he needed to go. But by the time a bottle arrived from the communal store it was often too late. It seemed safest to keep him in pads. At any rate he could not use the bottle by himself with one hand. It was cumbersome, rigid and would not fit easily between his legs. A nurse had to help him use it and he found the whole experience very humiliating. A penile sheath was also tried, again draining into a plastic bag, which also irritated his skin. Like many men in this predicament, John simply tried to drink less, making bladder infections more likely. He was rushed to hospital on two occasions with UTI after blood was found in his urine. John returned to the “nappies” though he dreamed of a plastic bottle that could be flexible and fit comfortably beside his rigid, immovable leg.
Along came the Uriwell or “Happy Pee” with its jolly frog’s head, that was quickly dubbed the “happy frog”. With a little practice, John could use the “frog” all by himself. It is soft and flexes around his stiff left leg and he can move it up and down into whichever position is most convenient for him. Its unique “concertina” design allows it to both bend and extend so there is no danger of spillage whether sitting up, lying down or anywhere in between. When filled he seals the airtight lid – no odour, no leaks, and a carer empties it at their convenience. Wet beds and foul pads are a thing of the past. The Uriwell really comes into its own at night where two “happy frogs” sit by the side of his bed. John uses them with his one good hand and goes peacefully back to sleep, no longer counting the hours when someone will finally relieve him of the wet sheets that sting his skin. The Uriwell has liberated John as he is no longer at the mercy of others. Yet only a short time before this lucky find, there was serious talk of surgery to insert a ‘suprapubic catheter’ into his abdomen, with a drip to a permanent plastic bag. “Very convenient and hygienic” he was told. For whom? Thankfully, John did not have to go down that road. He is very grateful for his ‘Happy Pee”.
Do you know a “John” who would benefit from such a device?
Save them from the indignity of pads, the risk of infection and complications from other methods.
Don’t let a continent person lose their ability to control their voiding.
Give them their own personal Uriwell – no sharing with others, so no need to sterilise them.
Give our aged men and women back their pride!