Hand-held Urinals

• Introduction
• Tips
• Hand Held Urinals for Men
• Hand Held Urinals For Women

Introduction

A hand-held urinal can allow men and women with restricted mobility to be continent, independent and able to participate socially, especially where toilet facilities are not readily available or easily accessible. Urinals can also be of help to carers when lifting is a problem.

It is possible to use a hand-held urinal in bed, when seated or standing, depending on your abilities and needs and the design of the urinal chosen.

Which urinal to choose will depend upon your manual dexterity (ability with your hands), posture, physical abilities and other circumstances.

It is always advisable to practise with a urinal in private before trusting to its use in a public place. It can be useful to use an absorbent bed pad or chair pad to protect against possible spillage, especially if your grip or eyesight may be a problem. In some situations a rug over your knees can give privacy (for instance, in a car).

Other considerations include:-

• Material the urinal is made from: lightweight plastic types are useful if you have weak wrists.
• Handles where your strength of grip is a problem. A rubber sleeve around the handle will add extra grip. An extended handle may help if your wrist movement is limited.
• Spill-proof design - this is particularly important if you have shaky hands or poor eyesight.
• How easy it is to use and to clean. Daily washing of a urinal in a mild antiseptic solution is recommended to prevent odour problems.
• Availability - for people living at home, some types of urinal are normally available via the NHS district nursing service. Sometimes voluntary organisations, such as the Red Cross, provide a loan service, or they can be purchased from local chemists or via mail order.

Tips

• A sachet of gel powder in the urinal will soak up most of the fluid and reduce the risk of spills.
• A waterproof-backed chair-pad placed under the urinal protects against spills.
• Ask your continence nurse specialist or Disabled Living Centre if they will lend you different designs to try.

Hand Held Urinals For Men

Urinals for men can be basic bottles with a lid and cost as little as £4. With a non-spill adaptor, they may cost up to £14. In choosing a urinal, apart from the general considerations (above) you will wish to take into account the length of your penis. Men with a very small or retracted penis may find some urinals difficult to use. Extending the fly opening of your trousers down to the crotch seam will make positioning the urinal easier, especially if it is to be used when seated.

The standard male bottle is familiar to many people. A snap-on lid helps to avoid spillage after use, as does a bedside or chair-side holder. A version with a flatter bottom is more stable and less easy to spill if placed between the legs in bed.

Non-spill valves will fit into the neck of most standard bottles.

The rubber sleeve fits snugly into the neck of the bottle with the air vent upwards. The valve allows urine to pass in but not to return out of the bottle. This is particularly useful for someone who tends to spill or drop a bottle.

Single-use disposable urinals made from lightweight plastic are easily carried in a pocket or bag for use when out. This can be particularly useful if you are worried about suddenly getting caught short in public

The non-return valve and wire tie enable it to be carried after use until a suitable place is found for disposal. However, as it can only be used once it is rather expensive for routine use, but good for special situations or locations.

The swan neck urinal

is useful for a man with a small or retracted penis, who has difficulty in using a standard bottle. The whole penis and scrotum can usually fit inside the bottle so that urine is caught at whatever angle it emerges.

Hand Held Urinals For Women

Urinals for women are pushed between the legs from the front, or are straddled or sat on. You may need to try several designs to find the easiest for you. Prices vary with type and make, roughly from £4 to £18.

The choice of urinal depends on your posture when you use it and the positioning technique of the style of urinal. People in wheelchairs may find a U-shape cut-out in the front of a cushion particularly useful. The urinal can be placed in the space left by the U-shaped cut-out and this avoids having to lift the body to any great extent. The Bridge Urinal can be used on its own or connected to a large-capacity drainage bag, as shown here.

Some women construct their own urinals from items such as funnels, tubing and hot water bottles. A narrow, tall jug is useful if you have difficulty in separating your thighs. The pan-type urinal is a shallow plastic dish with a rounded lip for comfort and to prevent spillage. It is emptied via a rubber cap on the handle and can be used in bed or on a chair. Women who cannot raise their buttocks to position it may be able to roll onto it sideways as it is so shallow. Someone who is bed-bound may be able to empty it into a bucket by the bed and reuse it without assistance, thus avoiding waking carers in the night.

Alternatively a self-adhesive penile sheath can be attached to the handle and connected to a large-capacity drainage bag, which can be discreetly supported underneath or beside the chair or bed.

Single-use disposable urinals made from lightweight plastic are also available and are easily carried in a pocket or bag for use when out. This can be particularly useful for those who suddenly get caught short in public.

Clothing such as split-crotch knickers, wrap-around skirts and similar styles may help with use of a urinal.