Run the numbers before you run the program. A 120-bed Canadian facility typically goes through 900 to 1,100 briefs and 400 to 600 underpads a week, depending on acuity. At 40 to 45 cents per brief, that is $25,000 to $35,000 a year in absorbent products alone, before wipes, gloves, and linen. Most homes are not short on product; they are short on a plan. And the mix matters as much as the total: ordering 10 per cent more of the wrong product is not a plan, it is a pallet of regret in the storeroom.
An incontinence supply program is a one-page document: the mix, the formula, the monthly review, and the person responsible. Here is how to build each piece.
What Goes Into an Incontinence Product Mix?
Four lines carry the program. Briefs do the main work, underpads protect the bed and chair, and wipes and gloves ride along on every change. The table shows where the money usually lands.
| Line | Job | Typical share of spend |
|---|---|---|
| Day briefs (3,000–4,000 ml) | Daytime changes for mobile and assisted residents | 45–55% |
| Overnight briefs (5,000 ml) | Eight-hour hold for bed and heavy-output residents | 20–25% |
| Underpads (60x90 cm) | Bed and chair protection between changes | 10–15% |
| Wipes and gloves | Every change, without exception | 10–15% |
The mix lives or dies on the ratio. Roughly half the spend sits in day briefs, a quarter in overnight, and the rest splits between underpads and consumables. The Day Comfort 3,000 ml brief and the Day Pro 4,000 ml brief carry the daytime load; the Night Plus 5,000 ml overnight brief covers the night shift. Underpads like the 60x90 cm 5-layer pad protect beds between changes and are cheaper to swap than a full brief when only the pad is wet. If one line keeps overshooting its share, that is a signal, not a surprise. Review the share quarterly against actual usage by line, and adjust the standing order in the same meeting — the product mix LTC facilities need shifts with acuity, and acuity shifts faster than most order cycles.
How Do You Budget for an Incontinence Program?
Forecast with one equation: residents x changes per day x cost per piece x days. Eighty residents averaging four brief changes a day at $0.42 each comes to 80 x 4 x 0.42 x 365, roughly $49,000 a year. Add underpads at about one per bed per day, wipes at two per change, and gloves at two pairs per change. Then add a 10 per cent buffer for acuity spikes and admissions surges, because census rarely moves down.
Run the same equation for each line so the totals tie out to a purchase order, not a guess. If your distributor offers volume pricing, model the break points before committing to a larger pack size.
How Do You Track Monthly Usage?
Pull actual consumption every month, not every quarter. Compare each line against the formula. If day briefs run 15 per cent over forecast, either the ratio is wrong or changes are happening too often; both are fixable, but only if you look. Track per-resident cost as well — it is the number that survives budget season. A home that knows its per-resident per-day cost can defend its ask to the finance office without a spreadsheet war.
If you suspect over-changing, log the reasons for extra changes for a week: leakage, soiling, or routine. The answer tells you whether to change the product or change the practice.
What Should You Negotiate With Suppliers?
You have leverage you are not using. Ask for per-piece pricing locked for 12 months, free or reduced freight on full pallets, consignment or 60-day terms if volume supports it, and substitution rights if a product is discontinued. Confirm the supplier's manufacturing runs under ISO 13485, the quality system standard for medical devices, and that their Canadian registration documents are current. Price matters, but a supplier who cannot hold quality costs more in returns and complaints than the discount ever saved.
Get delivery windows in writing too. A distributor that shows up late costs you more in emergency local purchases than the discount on the pallet.
Why Put the Program in Writing?
Write the program down, share it with the director of care and the finance office, and review it quarterly against actuals. Let the numbers drive the next order, not the distributor's special offer. A program that is documented survives turnover; one carried in someone's head does not.
Related Reading
Explore more guides in this category:
- Men vs Women: How Absorbency Placement Changes Product Choice
- Wheelchair Users: Openable Briefs and Side-Seam Designs Explained
- Biodegradable Adult Diapers: Eco-Friendly Options in Canada?
Related reading: explore our long-term care and home care resources.
start with our underpad buying guide for absorbency, sizing and cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I estimate monthly incontinence usage for a care home?
Count the residents on a continence program, multiply by the planned changes per day, then multiply by 30. A 90-bed home with 65 per cent of residents on the program and five changes a day lands near 8,800 product changes a month. Add underpads at two to three per heavy-output resident per day, then convert each line to case quantity using the pack count printed on the case.
Which lines belong in the formulary?
Most Canadian homes settle on a short formulary: two brief sizes, one overnight brief, one underpad size and wipes. Splitting briefs and pull-ups roughly 60/40 works in a mid-size building where mobile residents prefer a pull-on. A formulary of four to six SKUs concentrates volume on each line, while eight or more SKUs spread across three distributors rarely earn case-level pricing.
How should a budget be built for a continence program?
Build it from usage, not from last year's invoice. Take the change count, apply the absorbency tier each resident actually needs, add bed protection and skin-care items, then convert to cases. The two lines that overrun a plan are underpads, because a single episode in bed can consume two or three, and low-absorbency briefs used as a substitute for a heavier tier, which raises the change count.
What should be in writing with a supplier?
Specify the pack count, the absorbency rating in millilitres, the size range in centimetres and the lead time for a repeat order. Ask what happens when one line is unavailable, since a substitution at a different absorbency resets the change count. A written product specification with a photo of the sealed case prevents sizing disputes at the loading dock, where the receiving team cannot open a case to check.
How often should usage be measured after rollout?
Measure actual usage monthly for the first quarter, then quarterly. Compare the change count per resident per day against the plan: a rise usually means the absorbency tier is too low for the current census, and a fall often means bed protection is being reused when it should be replaced. Both are clinical signals as much as budget signals, and both surface within one ordering cycle.
CliniEco Medical is a licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334).
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