This is a de-identified composite case: no home is named, no resident is identifiable, and the figures are illustrative. The 23% cut came from matching absorbency to the assessed continence pattern, re-measuring size, and consolidating orders floor by floor, with no product line swapped.
What actually drives incontinence brief cost per resident day?
Cost per resident day is units used per day times unit cost, plus the underpads that go with them. Care hours belong on a separate line: a change is a care contact, not a supply cost.
Only one of the three drivers is price. Absorbency mismatch ranks first: a resident assessed at a lighter level and issued the overnight class around the clock uses the most expensive unit on the shelf at every change. Sizing comes next, since a brief that gaps at the leg cuff leaks, and a leak costs laundry and two more units.
The millilitre classes come from whole-product absorbency testing in the ISO 11948 series, and the field that predicts which class a resident needs already sits in the interRAI RAI-MDS 2.0 continence items, reported nationally through the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
| Absorbency class | Use window | Units per day | Unit cost (illustrative) | Cost per resident day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,000 ml class | Daytime, mobile resident | 2.5 | $0.62 | $1.55 |
| 4,000 ml class | Daytime and evening | 2.8 | $0.71 | $1.99 |
| 4,000 ml class, all shifts | Round the clock | 3.4 | $0.71 | $2.41 |
| 5,000 ml class | Night use only | 1.0 | $0.95 | $0.95 |
| Mixed: two 3,000 ml day plus one 5,000 ml night change | 24 hours | 3.0 | see mix row | $2.19 |
How did this home cut spend without changing product?
Baseline first. The home pulled four weeks of usage by floor, matched it against the continence items in its RAI-MDS 2.0 assessments, and priced the shelf: $3.12 per resident day, $2.52 of briefs on 3.5 units plus $0.60 of underpads.
The mismatch showed in the mix: lighter-assessed residents were changed into the 4,000 ml class all day, 5,000 ml was pulled on day shift, and two floors ran a size too large. Absorbency was re-tiered from the assessment record, so mobile residents used the 3,000 ml class by day, 4,000 ml covered evening, and the 5,000 ml Night Plus overnight brief went to night use only. Residents were re-measured against a current size chart and each floor got its own par level.
At ninety days, cost per resident day was $2.40: briefs $2.04 on 2.8 units, underpads $0.36 on 1.2. Average cost per unit rose from about $0.72 to $0.73 as the mix shifted to the night brief; fewer units did the work.
| Measure | Before | After 90 days |
|---|---|---|
| Overnight class | 4,000 ml, all shifts | 5,000 ml, night only |
| Briefs per resident day | 3.5 at about $0.72 | 2.8 at about $0.73 |
| Underpads per resident day | 2.0 at $0.30 | 1.2 at $0.30 |
| Cost per resident day | $3.12 | $2.40, down 23% |
Which brief features can you reduce without affecting care?
Split the list into clinical features and shelf-appeal features.
- Absorbency class — step down only where the assessed level supports it, never as a blanket switch.
- Size and fit — leave alone; a brief that gaps at the leg cuff trades a lower price for leakage.
- Wetness indicator — keep where a resident cannot report a change, and read briefs with dignity for a resident who has dementia before removing it.
- Odour-control layer — decide floor by floor.
- Overnight absorbency — keep; the night class is where leakage becomes a 2 a.m. change.
How do you consolidate orders without running out?
Consolidation fails when it is run as a purchasing exercise instead of a stock exercise. This home went from 11 order lines to 5, then set one reorder point per floor:
Reorder point = (average daily usage × lead time in days) + safety stock.
A 32-bed floor using 46 units a day, a three-day lead time and two days of safety stock reorders at 230 units. Floor-level points end the hoarding a building-wide par level creates, letting one wholesale supply account work with one ordering day twice a month.
Fewer lines also cut invoice checking, and consolidated pricing follows total order value rather than the individual line — see the procurement learning hub or, for multi-site groups, the Rapid Reader Seed Trial.
What should an LTC home measure every month?
Six numbers, all from data the home already collects:
- Cost per resident day, split into briefs and underpads.
- Units per resident day by floor.
- Absorbency mix, the share of changes per class.
- Leakage events, from the change and laundry log.
- Stockout days per floor.
- Open order lines, so consolidation does not slide back.
Report monthly and review at the quarterly care conference: a jump in units is usually an assessment update, not a purchasing problem.
Related reading
- Underpads in long-term care: layers, sizes and cost per resident day
- Incontinence pad sizes compared: shape and absorbency
- Starting incontinence briefs with dignity when a resident has dementia
- long-term care supplies
Ordering in volume for a care facility, clinic or home care agency?
Facility buyers do not need an online account to get pricing. Send us your case quantities, ship-to province and required delivery frequency, and we will confirm volume pricing and lead time in writing.
- Request a bulk quote for care facilities — case quantities, par-level planning and standing orders
- View wholesale and institutional product lines
- Contact us — for tenders, RFQs and multi-site accounts
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 23% reduction realistic for every long-term care home?
No. This is a de-identified composite: treat 23% as the opportunity in a home that has never re-tiered absorbency, not as a benchmark.
Would a lower-priced brief help more than re-tiering absorbency?
Rarely. A unit that gaps at the leg cuff turns one change into two, so units per resident day belongs next to price.
What should a home check when a supplier revises a brief?
Check the spec sheet for the whole-product absorbency figure and size range, then confirm the class still matches the residents it is issued to.
CliniEco Medical is a licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334).
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