Angela Morrow, RN, BSN, CHPN, is a certified hospice and palliative care nurse.

Isaac O. Opole, MD, PhD, is a board-certified internist and a current teaching professor of medicine at the University of Kansas.

Marley Hall is a writer and fact checker who is certified in clinical and translational research. Her work has been published in medical journals in the field of surgery, and she has received numerous awards for publication in education.

If you are caring for a loved one at home who is bedridden and incontinent, you may find yourself tasked with having to change adult diapers. Changing diapers properly is important as it helps keep the skin clean and free from infection and perineal dermatitis (a.k.a., diaper rash).

Prolonged exposure to urine and feces can be damaging to the skin, causing tissue breakdown and promoting the formation of decubitus ulcers (bedsores). Beyond keeping the skin clean and infection-free, a properly fitted adult diaper helps minimize abrasion that contributes to the onset of these difficult-to-treat sores.

Changing an adult diaper for the first time may seem awkward and intimidating, but there are steps that can make the process easier for you and your loved one.

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If you are the one responsible for changing a loved one's diapers, it is a good idea to store all of the needed supplies near the bed so that you are not scrambling for things when there is an accident. These include:

Make sure these supplies are dedicated to diaper changing only. It is important, for example, not to share barrier cream. Moreover, if you store all of your supplies in one place, you are less likely to accidentally run out of wipes or skin cream.

Consider hiring or purchasing a hospital bed if you don't already have one. It makes caring for a bedridden person easier and can also make them feel more comfortable.

In order to maintain the integrity of the skin, you need to change the adult diapers as soon they are soiled. Every effort should be made to check the diapers regularly. It helps to recruit other family members to do so when you are out shopping or doing chores and to teach them how to change diapers if they are capable of doing so.

Changing adult diapers can be done by a single individual, but it makes it much easier if there is someone to assist you (particularly if the loved one is large or you are small). With that said, it usually only takes a little practice to do so yourself.

To change an adult diaper:

Before leaving, check that your loved one is properly positioned in bed. This includes moving them regularly so that pressure is not placed on a hip or other part of the body for too long.

By keeping the skin clean, adjusting the body position every two or so hours, and keeping bed linens fresh and smooth, you can prevent bedsores and make life easier for both you and your loved one.

Serban ED. Perianal infectious dermatitis: An underdiagnosed, unremitting and stubborn condition. World J Clin Pediatr. 2018;7(4):89-104. doi:10.5409/wjcp.v7.i4.89

Espejo E, Andrés M, Borrallo RM, et al. Bacteremia associated with pressure ulcers: A prospective cohort study. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2018;37(5):969-75. doi:10.1007/s10096-018-3216-8

Bhattacharya S, Mishra RK. Pressure ulcers: Current understanding and newer modalities of treatment. Indian J Plast Surg. 2015;48(1):4-16. doi:10.4103/0970-0358.155260

Cleveland Clinic. Are you thinking about adult diapers for urinary incontinence?.

Gillespie BM, Chaboyer WP, Mcinnes E, Kent B, Whitty JA, Thalib L. Repositioning for pressure ulcer prevention in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;(4):CD009958. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009958.pub2

By Angela Morrow, RN Angela Morrow, RN, BSN, CHPN, is a certified hospice and palliative care nurse.

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