LTC Admission Supplies: Incontinence Basics for New Residents

A long-term care home in London, Ontario admits a new resident on Tuesday afternoon. By Wednesday the care team has learned the resident's mobility, toileting patterns, and skin condition — and the supply cart has already been adjusted twice. Admissions are when supply planning happens in real time: the wrong product sizing or the missing underpad case creates immediate problems on the floor.

New LTC residents arrive with different needs, and the first 72 hours set the pattern for their care. This checklist covers the incontinence and skin care supplies every Canadian LTC home should have ready when a new resident arrives.

Admission Essentials: The First-72-Hours Kit

Residents arrive with whatever the family brings, which is often the wrong product for the home's care model. The home should provide a starter kit that covers the first three days while assessments run:

• Briefs in two sizes — the resident's estimate plus one size up and one down, because family estimates are frequently wrong.
• Underpads — one case at the bedside for surface protection and procedural use.
• Gloves — at the point of care, both sizes the team uses.
• Cleansing wipes — alcohol-free, pH-friendly, for perineal care.
• Skin barrier cream — for the first skin assessment and any existing reddened areas.
• Disposable washcloths — single-use during the first weeks when skin integrity is unknown.

Choosing the Right Brief at Admission

Product selection at admission is a balance between what the resident needs and what the team can consistently apply. Tab briefs with refastenable closures work for residents who are bed-bound or need assistance; pull-on style products suit residents who can toilet independently or with standby assistance. A resident who can stand and transfer may manage a pull-on; one who needs a two-person lift needs a tab brief that changes without full repositioning.

Absorbency should follow the assessment, not the price list. Start with a mid-range product like the 3,000 ml day-comfort brief and adjust up or down within the first week as voiding patterns become clear. The wetness indicator helps staff learn the resident's frequency without waking them for checks.

Underpads: The First Line of Surface Protection

New residents are unknown quantities: their skin tolerance, their turning habits, and their nighttime voiding are all unmeasured. Underpads bridge that gap. A 60 x 90 cm underpad with a SAP core protects the mattress and fitted sheet, handles procedural spills during admission assessments, and gives the care team a rapid swap option while the resident's nighttime pattern is still being learned.

SAP-core underpads are the right call for admissions because the polymer core holds fluid away from the skin during the assessment period, when skin tolerance is unknown. Keep a case in the admission room and restock from the central store on the same cart rotation as briefs.

Gloves and Skin Care at the Point of Care

Admission assessments involve physical contact: skin checks, perineal care, transfers, and toileting. PHAC routine practices guidance for healthcare settings requires gloves for contact with body fluids and mucous membranes, so the admission room needs gloves at the point of care rather than down the hall. Powder-free nitrile is the standard — latex-free for the growing number of sensitive residents and staff, and strong enough for the handling that transfers involve.

For skin care, the admission period is when the home establishes the resident's baseline. Cleansing wipes that are alcohol-free and pH-balanced protect fragile skin during the first perineal care, and skin barrier cream applied at the first reddened area can stop a pressure injury before it starts. The 100-count nitrile glove box at the bedside cart makes glove compliance automatic.

Documenting the Admission Supply Plan

The 72-hour supply trial should be documented: product type, size, absorbency, and the resident's response. After one week, the care team reviews the trial and locks the resident's standing supply list into the electronic care plan. This documentation turns a chaotic admission into a reproducible process — the same assessment, the same trial, the same decision criteria, for every new resident.

FAQ

What supplies do new LTC residents need in the first 72 hours?

A starter kit covering briefs in two sizes, underpads, gloves, cleansing wipes, skin barrier cream, and disposable washcloths. The kit bridges the gap while the care team completes mobility, toileting, and skin assessments.

How do I choose between tab briefs and pull-ons at admission?

Follow the mobility assessment. Residents who can stand and transfer can often manage pull-ons; residents who need assistance or lifts require tab briefs that change without full repositioning. Start with the mid-range product and adjust within the first week.

Why use SAP underpads for new residents?

The polymer core holds fluid away from the skin while the resident's skin tolerance is unknown, reducing moisture-related breakdown risk during the assessment period. It also protects bedding during procedural spills.

When should the admission supply plan be updated?

After 72 hours of observations, and formally after one week. Document the product trial, the resident's response, and the standing supply list so the next admission follows the same reproducible process.

CliniEco Medical supplies briefs, SAP underpads, and nitrile gloves for Canadian LTC admission teams — now available for immediate order. CliniEco Medical is a Health Canada licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334).