By Norene Cashen

Whenever I hear someone say ripple effect, my mind automatically leaps to the butterfly effect. The two terms have similar meanings. Both refer to the idea that a simple action in one place can lead to significant, unexpected effects elsewhere.

The ripple effect brings up an image of throwing a stone into a pond and watching the circles radiate outward. The butterfly effect tells a more colorful story. It says a butterfly might flutter its wings in a rainforest and cause a drastic weather pattern in another part of the world. One tiny flutter equals one huge impact.

It’s a fascinating concept. It even inspired the sci-fi thriller The Butterfly Effect, a movie released in 2004 starring Ashton Kutcher. Just in case you wanted to check it out.

So, I was intrigued when, during a recent interview, Deanna Vigliotta, Seni’s national sales manager, discussed the ripple effect of the brand’s extensive line of pads, underwear, and skincare products. I leaned in, eager to hear more. (Seni is a Foresight partner)

What do big ideas like ripple and butterfly effects have to do with incontinence care?

“It’s really the positive ripple effects of the products that I just love,” Deanna says. “People can come out of their rooms. We can increase social interactions and decrease negative clinical outcomes.”

People First 

Deanna went on to explain how a person-centered approach inspires Seni to design a wide range of products that will meet the needs of real individuals. They offer bladder control pads for women, guards for men, briefs, pull-ups, underpads, and more. But that long list isn’t about products. It’s about people.

It’s about the resident who will wake up and have time to visit with care staff instead of facing the morning rush to have the bedsheets changed. Because Seni’s products require fewer changes than the industry norm.

It’s about a prostate cancer survivor who can return to work without feeling terrified to be far from a restroom.

It’s about the person with dementia wearing the right garment with the right fit and absorbency, so they require fewer stressful changes each day.

“We’re here to help people increase their quality of life,” says Mihaela Grigore, chief operating officer of TZMO USA, Inc. (Seni’s parent company). “Imagine if I woke you up every night to change your brief. To me, that is torture.”

With the voice of an advocate for Seni’s customers, Mihaela emphasized the many ways the company focuses on the whole person. She gave an overview of features, such as absorbency and leak guards. She also mentioned how Seni took the industry lead on breathability, a way to protect skin without compromising effectiveness.

But there’s more to it than that.

The Why Behind the Product

Providers and caregivers need to know how to match products with specific needs. In other words, they need to be person-centered too. That means understanding there are different shapes and absorbency levels for day and night use, just as there are different products for wearers with limited mobility. That’s why a cornerstone of Seni’s website is its knowledge base of articles and videos that cover a variety of topics, from how to apply products to a DIY vapor permeability test.

“Pay attention to the why behind the product,” Deanna adds. “When you do that, you have happier residents.” 

When you have happier residents, you have happier family members and staff. You have fewer changes, less waste, fewer skin problems, lower cost, less stress, less laundry, fewer gloves …. And that chain of positive effects could go on and on until it stops a tornado from hitting a small town in the Midwest.

Okay, maybe person-centered incontinence care can’t alter the weather, but it does alter the way people function and the way they feel. And all that talk about ripples and butterflies is just another way for us to remind ourselves that something as simple as an undergarment can make all the difference in the world. 

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