Incontinence 1950's - How was it managed?

[ChocChip]

Anyway the suggestion of towelling pads inside plastic/rubber pants sounds familiar, I think I once saw a posting from someone on an old newsgroup, saying that’s what their mother wore after being left urge incontinent by childbirth in the pre-disposables era. Towelling could probably be purchased in whatever size was required, and I guess combined with waterproof pants it would have covered a range of levels of incontinence without having to actually form a full pin-on nappy with it. I mean, most of us have probably tried the “towel inside a bin bag” makeshift nappy at some time or other!

I guess immobile patients would probably have often just been given bed pads (disposable or washable) rather than being actually fitted with a nappy?

I’ve always been fascinated by the history of incontinence and adult nappies, so any experiences/stories would be of interest.

 

[Angelapinks]

I have a 1927 Eatons Catalog (Canada) that has many versions of cotton and flannel diapers and real rubber pants and bloomers as well as male strap on urinals and special lined pants for women for their time of the month. There are also cotton diapers and rubber pants for children and babies. They look much like the images in that picture of the Sears catalog but the pants and other items are rubber. Plastic pants were not around until the late fifties.

 

[ade]

You can check out eBay, in 'photographic images', searching for 'polio' and 'handicap' to see how such things were dealt with.
Thin tie-on diapers seemed common (no plastic pants) and the whole thing went hand in hand with a wider social attitude, dictated from 'above', of the institutionalization of disabled children and adults.
Around the 1970s, ideas of care in the community came to the fore, so the mid-twentieth century was much a matter of pot-luck as to whether you were condemned, like those we saw in institutions and orphanages at the fall of the Soviet Union, or treated with some modicum of respect, compassion and dignity. The 'lucky' ones were kept by their family ('lucky' is debatable as treatment and care would depend on either the family's wealth or a socialistic healthcare and welfare system).

I can remember watching a programme on the telly about a lad with SB (?), in the late 70s, who wore nappies and plastic pants, but it didn't go into any detail other than showing him in his protection getting up in the morning, sliding his way downstairs and then sat at the table for his breakfast.

 

[ArchtopK]

Did it live up to our fantasies?

You know, My memory of these is vague but I do remember I did not keep them long. Not sure if a purge event was the reason or what. Also not sure if I bought these before or after I started buying Pampers overnights in the orange box. I made me-size diapers by bonding two of those end to end on top of a white Glad kitchen trash bag. The good old days.

 

[Calico]

My mother worked as a nurse in the '70s, not exactly the timeframe you asked but close.
No diapers were used both in the mental institution and retirement home she worked at.
In one of them every patient got a Foley catheter , regardless of medical condition, regardless of safety protocols, patients suffered there.
In the other, patients were either wetting themselves and more often than not in wet clothes or when immobile, for male patients they were wrapped in terry cloth towels to a urinal so it would stay attached. For female patients they'd do the same with bed pans.
That or wet sheets and regular replacement of the sheets.

Cloth diapers might have been used in different places unfortunately patients in that time in those institutions were not having the best care, though the staff was trying. Often the nuns (who were in charge) were the ones causing much grief

I read the book Petey and it seemed obvious he wore diapers in the 1930's and 1940's but they kept is subtle like "let's get you changed." The character had cerebral palsy and he grew up in a institution he had been in since he was 2. His family never visited him so it was as if he had been abandoned. I also thought it was a sad story. The book took place from the years 1920-1991.

 

[Calico]

My grandmother had to wear diapers shortly in the 1960's because she had a growth inside her ovaries and it affected her bowels so she was leaking stool. She told me she had to wear diapers and they were cloth. I am sure she still used the toilet for pee. She had her ovaries removed and her bowel problems resolved itself and no more diapers.

 

[LuvsandPampers]

interesting, I saw the same Ad just recently on FOX dealing with female IC at night. Similar to #9 in the Sears Ad. Only difference is it was a pad style and pump system. This is only for at night or laying position.

 

[LuvsandPampers]

 

[Sheepies]

The mid 20th century sounds like a hellscape for the IC and disabled

 

[tndyperboy]

That Sears catalog page brings back teenage memories. I ordered my first "adult" diapers and waterproof pants from Sears. Filled out a form at the counter, had to pay for the order. I think it came in after a few days. Didn't realize I would have to go pick them up. Nervous, but got past that so I could get my diapers. Used them when ever I could through college.

I don't recall when I saw Attends disposable diapers in the drug store. But once I was out on my own I started buying them. You could only wet them a couple of times and you were going to leak sooner then you might think. But, it was all there was available (Depends were just as bad back in the 1980's as they are now.

 

[Andrewgdfw]

Yeah, just like one of our US Presidents...he was IC and never left the White House

source for this (mis)information ?

 

[MikeDJ]

View attachment 45656I do recall seeing them in the Sears catalog back in the day. Spent a lot of time on those pages when no one was looking.

I remember this type of section in the catalog. It was more recent than this printing but similar nonetheless. I was quite young but did like plastic pants and diapers . My grandmother had the catalogs in her TV room magazine rack. She would sometimes sit outside reading on the porch. I then would sneak into the tv room and look though the catalogs where the incontinence briefs were. I wanted to wear the pull ons so bad but there was no real way to get a hold of those items at that point. It was still fun to look at all the different briefs and diapers.

 

[Sidewinder]

Yeah, just like one of our US Presidents...he was IC and never left the White House

You're referring to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, are you?

The only president in American history who was paralyzed from the waist down and thus confined to a wheelchair.

 

[Zeke]

View attachment 45656I do recall seeing them in the Sears catalog back in the day. Spent a lot of time on those pages when no one was looking.

That was my favorite part of all of the big three catologes, Sears and Roebuck, J.C. Penny, and Montgomery Ward. Sears had more than two full pages with probably twenty items per page, the stuff a ten year old plastic pants lover’s dreams were made of. I wonder if my parents ever noticed how those catalogs just naturally fell open to the incontinent pages? It took me several years before I found out what the word “incontinent” meant, now I live it. Some of the older folk’s homes that we would go to often had a urine odor and when I’d ask my mom about it after we visited she would just tell me “never mind”. As far as waterproof pants they were available in five and dime stores and Woolworths in teen and adult sizes when I was growing up in the fifties and sixties, I think most people made their own diapers to wear with them. Stay padded, and be thankful that you have so much choice!

 

[Sidewinder]

I have a 1927 Eatons Catalog (Canada) that has many versions of cotton and flannel diapers and real rubber pants and bloomers as well as male strap on urinals and special lined pants for women for their time of the month. There are also cotton diapers and rubber pants for children and babies. They look much like the images in that picture of the Sears catalog but the pants and other items are rubber. Plastic pants were not around until the late fifties.

My Great grandfather on my mother's side of my family worked for Eatons for 25 years. (1926-1951)

When he retired, he was given an imitation Rolex wristwatch, which got handed down to my Grandfather and finally to me.

 

[Angelapinks]

That was my favorite part of all of the big three catologes, Sears and Roebuck, J.C. Penny, and Montgomery Ward. Sears had more than two full pages with probably twenty items per page, the stuff a ten year old plastic pants lover’s dreams were made of. I wonder if my parents ever noticed how those catalogs just naturally fell open to the incontinent pages? It took me several years before I found out what the word “incontinent” meant, now I live it. Some of the older folk’s homes that we would go to often had a urine odor and when I’d ask my mom about it after we visited she would just tell me “never mind”. As far as waterproof pants they were available in five and dime stores and Woolworths in teen and adult sizes when I was growing up in the fifties and sixties, I think most people made their own diapers to wear with them. Stay padded, and be thankful that you have so much choice!

Bought my first plastic pants in a 5 and 10 cent store in the early 60's and was pleased to see that they came in XL and super sizes. I got hooked at aged 11 when a friend forced us to wear his baby brothers plastic pants in order to play in his tree house with all his cool toys. Later on while folding my newspapers in the early morning hours in the warmth of a coin laundry I found several pairs in the lost and found box and of course they came home with me. After that I would search the Sears and Eatons catalogs for these items as soon as the catalogs arrived at our door.

 

[Zeke]

Bought my first plastic pants in a 5 and 10 cent store in the early 60's and was pleased to see that they came in XL and super sizes. I got hooked at aged 11 when a friend forced us to wear his baby brothers plastic pants in order to play in his tree house with all his cool toys. Later on while folding my newspapers in the early morning hours in the warmth of a coin laundry I found several pairs in the lost and found box and of course they came home with me. After that I would search the Sears and Eatons catalogs for these items as soon as the catalogs arrived at our door.

The paper route that I had was delivering evening papers and I used to scope out clotheslines that had diapers and plastic pants on them. After dark I would sneak back and if the plastic pants hadn’t been taken in I would “swipe” them, as my grandfather would say. I guess I use that term because it seems to take some of the edge of the act of theft. All my night prowling led to quite a collection with Gerber being the preferred brand by far. One of the local grocery store had a clothing section that had the Warren brand plastic pants that were out of view and being this was before convex mirrors became popular or video cameras were available my larcenous streak got the best of me there as well. Stay padded, but buy them yourself.

 

[schooner]

View attachment 45656I do recall seeing them in the Sears catalog back in the day. Spent a lot of time on those pages when no one was looking.

I remember the "Olefin" and flannel-lined plastic pants...helped me get through childhood. I think the brand was called "Pro-Garm",

 

[LuvsandPampers]

Just looking around for the Sears catalog. This was from 1918. They did sale cloth diapers and rubber pants up to 2 years old but nothing bigger. They did have rubber aprons for sanitary napkins and a page below for men, women, boys and girls.

 

[Teddy02]

Excited to read through comments, i wonder how the ABDL lifestyle was back then...

I bought my first adult baby magazine from a sex shop in Soho in London in about 1968. That was when Soho was the sex and creative capital of London. It featured a man in his 40s in nappies and plastic pants with a nurse/mother type tending to him. It was the first time I had even thought that others were turned on by nappies!