January 2020
Welcome
Happy New Year from ActivStyle! As we look forward to the promise of a new year and everything that 2020 has in store for us, the team at ActivStyle is thankful that you trust your clients to our care. With this newsletter, we bring you news, information, and helpful tips about the medical supplies we offer and how your clients can get the most from their ActivStyle home delivery of medical supplies service.
Health News
Debunking the Myths about Incontinence
Urinary incontinence does commonly affect elderly people; however, it is not a normal sign of aging and should not be considered so. According to the Mayo Clinic, Urinary incontinence isn’t a disease, it’s a symptom. It can be caused by everyday habits, underlying medical conditions, or physical problems. Elderly people have a higher chance of developing disease and conditions that can lead to bladder control problems. Such conditions may include diabetes, nerve damage, prostate cancer in men, and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) disorder. Women going through menopause may also experience leakage problems. Estrogen levels tend to decrease during menopause, and when estrogen levels lower, vaginal tissues start to thin and become dry. This can trigger bladder spasms.
Childbirth causes irreversible incontinence
While women often experience loss of bladder control after pregnancy, it’s usually temporary and gets better over time and can be treated.
You’re the only one who has it
If you deal with incontinence, you are not alone. Urinary incontinence affects about 25 million adult Americans who experience occasional or chronic symptoms. The National Association for Continence estimates that 9 to 13 million have bothersome to severe symptoms. Also important to know is that many people also wear products to help stop leaks, like bladder control pads, protective underwear, or other protective undergarments.
Many cases go undiagnosed and untreated; not only because of the stigma and embarrassment associated with incontinence, but also because people don’t know how to talk to their doctor, family, or friends about the problem.
It’s normal to leak a little urine
It’s not normal to leak a little urine. People often downplay the symptoms of incontinence. If incontinence comes on gradually, people often don’t think of the leakage as a medical problem. Women tend to associate symptoms with their menstrual period and use feminine hygiene products to control them, and they often don’t see a doctor until overactive bladder kicks in as well, when they start rushing to the toilet and sometimes can’t make it in time.
You can just use a period pad instead of a bladder control pad
Many women who experience bladder leaks use period pads to manage their incontinence. Period pads and bladder control pads are designed to control different types of fluids and odors. If incontinence is a daily problem, it’s wiser to use incontinence products specifically designed to collect and hold urine.
Prostate cancer surgery leaves most men incontinent
More severe incontinence is a common side-effect of surgery to remove the prostate. Around 200,000 men in America are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. Of the men who have prostate surgery about half will have short-term incontinence in the months afterwards. Incontinence results when one or both sphincters in the male urinary tract are weakened or damaged from surgery. Only two in every ten men will have long-term incontinence that leaves them using pads.
If you have clients dealing with incontinence, ActivStyle is your partner in patient care. Our representatives are trained to recommend appropriate products to help your client manage their incontinence and live full, dignified lives without the shame and embarrassment that often comes with being incontinent. We’ll ship their products to them every month in discreet brown boxes and follow up with them each month to make sure they need the products and to see if their needs have changed. Have peace of mind that when you put your patient in the capable hands of the ActivStyle team, that they will have the supplies they need to effectively manage their incontinence.
If you have other questions for the ActivStyle Provider Services staff, feel free to give them a call today at 855-373-5141 (Monday – Friday, 8AM-5PM Central Time). They’ll be happy to help determine the individual’s eligibility to receive supplies through ActivStyle and take a referral over the phone, or you may conveniently make referrals online.
FAQs
Q: Why can’t ActivStyle just get a diagnosis from the doctor?
A: We ask what the current medical conditions are for a client before we send a prescription request to the doctor for a couple of reasons: First, to verify that the client meets the basic criteria for receiving any product based on state Medicaid requirements. Second, we send the doctor a prescription filled out with all the required information, including the diagnoses of the client. This saves time for the doctor as he only has to review the prescription, sign it, and return it to us.
Q: Why do you need Medicare information if you are not going to bill Medicare?
A: Each state Medicaid program has different billing requirements. Some require we bill a client’s primary insurance and some do not. The states will periodically change their requirements with little notice to us. It is best for us to have all active insurances on a client’s account, should there be any changes in what and who we can bill for any given products.
If you have other questions for the ActivStyle staff, feel free to call toll-free at 855-373-5141, Monday thru Friday, 8AM to 5PM, Central Time. We want to make your life easy, so you can provide the best service and information to those you serve.
Product News
Underpads (chux)
Disposable underpads are also known as disposable bedpads, bed sheets, or chair pads. They are available with different color plastic backings (usually blue, green, or peach) and are made from similar materials to other disposable pads. They are usually only available in one absorbency, although absorbency may vary between different brands of underpads.
You may have heard the term “Chux” used when someone is talking about disposable underpads. Chux are an older brand of disposable underpads that aren’t sold anymore. Many people think they were called “Chux” or “Chucks” because you chuck them away in the trash when they are soiled.
Modern disposable underpads are sometimes still called “chux”, much like a facial tissue is called Kleenex even when it is made by another company.
Disposable underpads come in a variety of sizes and colors. Over the years, technology has improved and modern disposable underpads are much better than in the past. Most disposable underpads now are made with a highly-absorbent polymer core that wicks moisture and wetness away from the surface of the skin. Additionally, a waterproof backing helps keep beds, chairs, or other furniture dry.
Not only do disposable underpads save your sheets and mattress from wetness; they can also help keep skin healthy as well. This is important because dry skin help wards against skin breakdown. Skin that is in contact with urine, feces, or blood can break down and cause problems. Rashes, irritated skin, pressure sores, all can be helped by keeping the skin clean and dry.
Underpads are ideally used to protect bedding, chairs, and other furniture from bodily fluids, but there are other uses for them, too. For example, if you are using catheters, an underpad is a great way to give yourself a clean surface to place your catheter insertion supplies.
If you have a client who could benefit from using underpads, reach out to an ActivStyle representative to see if they are eligible to receive underpads with their monthly supply shipment.
Please contact an ActivStyle Provider Services representative at 855-373-5141 (Monday – Friday, 8AM-5PM Central Time). They will be happy to assist you and answer your questions.
Industry News
Watch for ActivStyle’s booth at LeadingAge Annual Meeting & EXPO at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, Minnesota, February 5 – 7. Please stop by our booth and meet our staff. They’ll be ready and willing to answer any questions you may have about ActivStyle’s medical supply service. We look forward to meeting you in person.
Working with ActivStyle
Wouldn’t it be great if you spent less time mired in case-related paperwork and details and more time helping those who need you?
ActivStyle is a full-service provider of high-quality, high-value home medical supplies serving thousands of practitioners and case managers across the United States. Our product expertise and knowledge of constantly changing state and federal regulations allow us to give you — and the clients who depend on you — the level of service you need and deserve.
Founded in 1997 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, ActivStyle has grown to over 200 employees compassionately serving patients in 47 states with their medical supply needs. Specializing in incontinence, urological, and ostomy supplies, our Product Experts are available to discuss product options, insurance benefits, free delivery, or product samples. Feel free to call one of our Provider Services representatives toll-free at 855-373-5141, they’ll be happy to talk with you and answer any questions you may have about our products, services, or take a referral over the phone. You may also conveniently make client or patient referrals online.
At ActivStyle, we’re dedicated to making your life easier.
