Interview with Wayne Springate

Gary Barg: Wayne, Tell me what challenges you saw with incontinence before and how you and Underx are fixing those challenges.

Wayne Springate: For family caregivers, bowel and urinary incontinence are primary issues. People living with incontinence can’t sleep through the night. They can’t go out anymore. They lose all confidence. Then they try a lot of these brands found in CVS, Walgreens and Walmart, and they leak, and have issues regarding bedding and cleaning.

Gary Barg: Or they don’t fit properly.

Wayne Springate: Right, There’s a whole myriad of issues that come along with that, so we tried to simplify things and offer three different products. A slim fit pull up, an extreme absorbent pull up, and a tabbed brief, which are a lot easier for people who can’t actually pull the undergarments from their feet up. It’s also a lot easier for a caregiver to change those, if need be.

It is also dependent on issues such as the flow that you or your loved one has, or they’r

e not being ready for a full eight-hour incontinence product. Then they stop wanting to go out, go shopping, or even for a walk, since they need protection due to leakage. These products are a lot easier to conceal and are very discreet. They also have great odor protection.

There are two primary problems with incontinence undergarments, absorbency and fit, for which we have developed two technologies, XFit and Xorb.  Bodies include all different shapes, so our products take into consideration the different contours of your body, regardless of if you have smaller legs and a bigger bum and/or belly. We offer a sample program, where caregivers can reach out to us, and we can find the right product, fit and absorbency level for them. We wanted to design a product that ensures people will not have to worry about any leakage, noise, or odor. We wanted to make sure that we had a latex-free, soft product, which fit well, with good absorbency.

We also designed leak guards, which some products don’t have or if they do, either the leak guards are not high or flexible enough to go around the crease of your legs. If you have a heavy flow, you must make sure that the absorbent pad has time to absorb the liquid. Our leak guards do go around the crease of your legs and fit comfortably. They can’t be too tight as you don’t want to lose any circulation. They need to be snug, so they can hold the liquid.

We wanted to make sure that the Xorb technology in the pad was absorbent enough to wick away the liquid since if you’re sitting in wetness for a long time, there becomes a lot of issues with skin irritation.

Gary Barg: What have you learned from the family caregivers you’ve met at the different Fearless Caregiver Conferences you’ve come to?

Wayne Springate: The Fearless Caregiver Conferences have been so valuable, because we talk directly with the caregivers and are able to learn about the issues that they’re having. Not only for the ones for whom they care, but also themselves. Everything from skin irritations, leakage and fit, which are encompassed in our work.  

If you don’t have the right absorbency which can cause you to not have confidence to go outside or do the things that you’re used to doing, then you start to change other things, as well. You might not want to have some coffee, tea or water before you go out, since there may be an accident. Unfortunately, then people stop hydrating, and become dehydrated, which can cause a whole other myriad of medical issues and problems.

You’ll be surprised how many people you bump into who you have no idea are wearing incontinent wear, because they’re wearing something like Underx, with the right absorbency, so they’re confident it’s not going to leak or smell. We want to make sure that we try and get everybody to feel that confidence in what they and/or their loved ones are wearing.

Gary Barg: What’s the one most important resolution that you hope caregivers would pay attention to at this point?

Wayne Springate: To make sure that the one that they’re caring for gets into the right product. I must say that Underx is not the only company out there, but we work hard to make your life a lot easier. We strive to make a product that works for you and the one for whom you care. Reach out to us at Underx to secure some samples, you will find a product that works for you. I can’t promise I’m going to solve the world of incontinence, but I can promise you we’ll try our best to get you the right product, that fits, that has the absorbency you need, that you feel comfortable in, and get your  confidence back.