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Well I learned on this forum it could be done. Wow! But!!! It takes 2 hands to tear (or cut) one side at a time. Therefore the first side lobs down while working the other side and the contents may get deposited on the lower legs. Right? One more hand might be convenient. One solution that I can think of is to hold the offending depends up with suspenders during the tearing process - naw that wouldn’t work. Maybe tear and clamp the first side, tear the second side, then grab the first side and release the clamp simultaneously - tricky & risky - but it might work with practice.


Now thinking it out how about this: I’m right handed so tear the left side first (both hands) then lower it down a bit and fold the torn sections over the middle between the legs and hold that with my left hand. Now take my wife’s nursing bandage cutting scissors in my right hand and cut the right side. Now that side will fall aside but since I’ve already secured the mid section no contents can get deposited in unwanted areas. Can't wait to try this.


So maybe I’ve solved my own problem but if there’s a better way what might it be? How do you it?

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For the most part ripping the sides is a simple way to remove a pull up style product without needing to first remove pants, sox and shoes first, there is even a nifty method to put a new one on without removing any clothes and I found it a real time saver (not to mention it is cool - I never got over the novelty of it!). I think it's pretty much a given that there is going to need to be some major clean up if it is soiled rather than just wet, especially if it is very loose. What I often did was seat mom on the toilet, rip the sides and then pull the soiled mess from under her, but then I was fortunate enough to have the ability to wash her thoroughly right there on the toilet with our hand held shower.
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Norgirl May 2019
How do you put the new Depends on without removing any clothes?
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Pull the briefs evenly all the way down before cutting the sides. Makes the side seams shorter. You may need scissors, but this is what worked for me.
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I've never found an easy way to do this without making a mess. I will follow this for ideas.
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Worked! Had what you might think of as a double blivit (PBlivit 4 in my log) (5 is the worst). Anyway I ripped the left side (both handed) then held it there (left hand) and cut the right side with the bandage cutters (right hand) which have a blunt tip on one blade. I didn’t fold it up the middle - didn’t have to. 

After a wash rag devouring clean up I walked her back to the bedroom, carefully negotiating the precipice between the vinyl and carpet flooring and getting her med into her while standing up, coaxed her into bed and before she lay down she gave me a big smile. Ample pay.
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Thanks for great thinking by all contributors. As the 24/7 person for my wife, I found the questions and suggestions VERY helpful.
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I had to cut the Depends off my dad. I kept the little kids scissors right by the bed. It took a lot less time then ripping them. Cut on both thighs and never had an accident on skin. Dad slept on waterproof cotton pad so no spillage to worry about-they were easily washed in washing machine anyway. The pull ups weren't that thick on sides at all so took 5 seconds to cut. Best to you and and you are an angel.
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Not really a recommendation, but a memory from my mom who passed last October: She had just been moved to a wonderful assisted living facility and while she could no longer smoke, she somehow had kept an old cigarette lighter. One of my sisters walked in on her while she was using the lighter to burn off her Depends! Fortunately she wasn't hurt, but it just illustrates how judgement can be impaired.
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All I can add--and this was mentioned--get some good quality surgical/bandage scissors, They have one blunt edge, which protects the patient from being cut. Run the scissors up the side-repeat on the other side.

KEEP the scissors away from your LO. You could wind up finding them with a pretty crazy haircut.
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The process alternates between ugly and awful. For years I would just use my hands, lift my wife’s legs up and pull away only to get one leg caught in nature’s bounty. I did not want to offend my wife by using plastic gloves but it became clear she would not even notice. She seems to have lost control of her legs so even the simple request to Help Me, Lift Your Legs is an empty plea. One day I lost my temper and dangled the sodden Depends in her face. I take Lexipro to help me but waking daily to the grind has overtaken me. I am worthless. I am no good at this last life challenge. We both want to die. She is self described as in the final stage of PD and Lewy Body...I too am at the end. My knee falls out of the socket and I cannot carry the meals up stairs. When Depends gets soaked, the stuff crumbles out in little wet tuffs and then each must be picked up. This morning she fell off the potty and got wedged between the window wall and the potty, She was out of her mind and wanted me to call the plumber. She refused her meds and we had an”off” period on the bathroom floor, police and rescue workers here.
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Grammy6pak May 2019
i found that it is normal to be frustrated to the point that you get angry! Im sorry that you and your wife are going through this now. Are you able to get some help in the home so that the entire burden is not on you? Maybe a family member or neighbor, church member could come and help out! If you are a Veteran you might have some help through your Veterans Advocate!
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Despite being the well known brand, depends are. Not great products
the drug store brands from CVS or Walgreens are better but mom would still use a Kotex pad in them to help soak up the overflow when she could handle herself

also, if bedridden, don't use pull ups - use the briefs with side tabs
even though immobile, mom can still help roll over making clean up much easier
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Just have the person lay in bed on his/her back, tear both sides then have him/her roll to the side and pull them off. Absolutely ZERO mess. To be extra cautious you could put a towel or disposable hygiene pad underneath while doing this just in case. I do this with my mom every single day!
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I am so impressed with your love toward your wife. So blessed with your memories for your life together. I use TWO depends so the second one helps me negotiate and "hold" the first one together as I take off the dirty one. Sometimes during the day I put on THREE and then as the day goes on I take them off one by one. It means I don't have to take off all her clothes to get a new pad on her. I use "pad" as a word since diaper seems very condescending to use for an adult.
At night when she is going to be especially wet during the night, I cut a depend away from the water part (meaning take off the water proof slip so the urine can go through to the last pad that will catch it all.)
She is doing very well with these ways of doing things, since she is incontinent. (she has been since she was about 60 years old and is now almost 96.
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Let me try to explain how to do it step by step. I will explain like you are a 5 year old;)

1) Have the person sit. Take the pad and put it over ONE foot. do this with socks on before trying it with sneakers or shoes. (she is already dressed with pants and socks on)
2) Once you have the pad over the right foot, pull the whole pad up into the inside of the foot/leg. Now the pad is up at the top of her right thigh. Now comes the harder part.
3) You are going to take the left part of the pad and push it down the inside of the left thigh and the inside of the left leg's clothes and coming out the bottom of the left leg. At this point you are going to wrap it under the left foot. The MOST important thing to to make sure you tuck it from back to front so the pad doesn't twist and come up wrong as you pull it up where it belongs on her bottom and then pull up her pants. This way of doing things is especially helpful in a public bathroom where the floor is dirty.
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foxxmolder May 2019
I mistakenly put this explanation on how to put on a Depends without taking off someone's clothes here rather the where it belongs. I hope it can help someone.
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If you use scissors look for the ones like drs use that have a little nob on the bottom so you can't accidently poke your LO - try on line for them - my dad had some but they are for left hand
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It is so simple. You tear on the leg side. You only need to do one side and there you have it I worked in a hospital and that’s how we did it. And it’s fast.😉
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When my mother was in the hospital the nurse would leave her on her back and would roll her from side to side working on each side. Maybe a nurse or a CNA cold show you. Might be on You Tube.
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We stopped using undies. They promote UTIs. The bacteria backs up into crevices. Tearing them off is trauma and messy.
Our local hospitals do not allow them. They provide bedpads instead.
Christy goes commando. Cotton long skirts and night shirts.
Washable 'cotton' one side bedpads covered with soft cotton sheet. Polyester is an irritant, holds heat and pools liquid.

It is much cheaper than depends, much more comfortable, and better for the environment.
It is easier to clean up. Ripping the undies can be very messy. Christy has not had a UTI since 2015.
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7again May 2019
They're also called "chuxs." Easy to find and buy on Amazon.
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Try one with velcro tabs on each side. Easier.
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Say no to UTIs.
The only facility that could even consider accepting Christy is associated with our university hospital, that forbids incontinence briefs.
They take all incontinent residents to toilet every 2 hours and deal with whatever else happens. The scheduled toileting minimizes accidents.
The nurse said, a BM on the floor doesn't stink any more than leaking from a diaper, and we watch our residents. Briefs would be for our convenience and detrimental to the health of the residents.
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I'm glad you are satisfied with the care your loved one is receiving EllerySir, but if a nurse told me that "a BM on the floor doesn't stink any more than leaking from a diaper" I'd be asking how much it stinks on the bottoms of the shoes and walkers and wheelchairs that have dragged through the muck on the floor. I don't care how often the floor is cleaned, accidents will happen unnoticed and those with visual and cognitive impairments will not have the wherewithal to step around them. In my opinion the only reason people get sore or develop UTI's from incontinence products is because they aren't being changed properly, and wearing them doesn't preclude also toileting those individuals.
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i use a children's rounded scissors bc it is too hard to tear them off and i usually need to move quickly.
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Qmnxpl; Hello! What I do is use 2 depends 1 is a pull up 1 is a diaper with tabs during the night so I rip the tabs off the diaper ,set aside so I only have diaper part, then I insert inside the depend I use the velcro to secure the front and back of diaper then in middle of night or in the Am I can just pull out the diaper wipe her clean and pull up her pull up and if anything gets loose it catches in the pull up easy I also stick a pad inside .Daytime I just use a pull up with poise pads I only remove the paper to expose the sticky side of pad about 1 inch in front middle and back that way if they leak removeing the pad does not rip the depends ..I also use disposable pads (chucks) under her ...
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Seven day followup - Been using my Tube and Scissors approach now for the last 7-8 days and it has worked flawlessly. I keep a pan of soapy water for quick hand wash up and throw them both (tube & scissors) in after each use. A quick rinse and they're ready for the next dis-ass-ter. Someday the world will know this as the TS method. :-)

Lots of clever ideas in this thread. Thank you.
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