May 2020

Welcome

Indeed, April showers have brought us May flowers. We hope that you are taking some time from your busy day to smell the flowers, too! We trust that you and your family are staying safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. And we offer a sincere thank you to all the healthcare workers and other individuals on the front lines caring for patients around the clock.

At ActivStyle, it’s our desire to keep you up to date on current industry news, product information, FAQs, and much more. Like you, we are concerned about the uncertainty of the growing COVID-19 pandemic. We want to assure you that, as an essential business, ActivStyle’s dedicated teams are still working to provide our patients with the medical supplies they depend on.

 

Health News

What Are The Various Types of Incontinence
For anyone who suffers from urinary incontinence, it is comforting for them to know that they’re not alone. Millions of Americans, both men and women, suffer from this problem. It is also helpful to know the various types of incontinence that people experience.

Stress Incontinence
This is the most common type of incontinence and is predominant in women, though men experience this, too. It is characterized by occasional, involuntary leakage when a person sneezes, coughs, bursts out laughing, or lifts something that is heavier than expected. The leakage occurs for just a moment or two while the bladder muscles and urethral sphincters regroup.

Urge Incontinence
Also common, this type of incontinence is characterized by a sudden and overwhelming need to use the bathroom. The person experiences gushes of urine as their entire bladder may empty all at once. This can be caused by muscles spasms of the bladder or certain medications.

Mixed Incontinence
When a person experiences both stress and urge incontinence but they don’t know which type will strike next. This can leave the person with a bladder that keeps them guessing. Sometimes there is occasional leakage whereas at other times everything gushes out at once.

Functional Incontinence
Interestingly, this type occurs when the person experiences incontinence as gushes of urine yet their urinary system functions normally. In other words, the incontinence is related to something other than their urinary system. For instance, with Alzheimer’s or dementia, one may be in urinary distress but not be able to remember how to get to the bathroom. If experiencing vision loss and are in an unfamiliar place, an individual may not be able to read signage showing where bathrooms are located. If the person uses a wheelchair or other motorized transport but there is a set of stairs between them and the bathroom. Chronic alcoholism can also result in functional incontinence.

Post-Void Dribbling
Men are more likely to experience this type of incontinence as it is common with an enlarged prostate. For women it can be due to weakened muscles of the pelvic floor. Either way, it is characterized by urinary leakage soon after they have used the bathroom.

Total Incontinence
This type may sound more extreme than it actually is. Instead of gushes of urine, with total incontinence you likely experience frequent dribbling. An individual may have total incontinence when their bladder no longer holds or stores urine until they are ready to void. In other words, their kidneys filter out waste which drains down through their ureters, hits the bladder and just keeps on going. This is characterized by frequent or even constant dribbling as their bladder never fills enough to gush.

Bowel Incontinence
If you have ever had a bad case of food poisoning or the stomach flu you have an idea of what bowel/fecal incontinence is all about. This type is characterized by loose bowels that may be quite watery or loosely formed stool.

You may now have a good idea of the types of incontinence your clients experience. Rest assured that ActivStyle is here to help. No matter what type of incontinence is present, ActivStyle provides absorbent incontinence supplies to meet the needs of a wide variety of individuals. We’re ready and able to help you help your client manage their incontinence and maintain their quality of life.

 

FAQs

Q: Why can’t ActivStyle ship urology products as soon as they get the customer’s call?
A: Urology products require a prescription in order for an insurance plan to reimburse ActivStyle. Once we receive a request for an order, we do attempt to obtain a verbal prescription from the doctor. If we get the verbal prescription, we will ship a month supply while we work to obtain the prescription in writing. We advise customers not to wait until they are out of product before contacting us, because the process of obtaining a prescription can take a few days or more.

Q: Why doesn’t ActivStyle carry all products from a manufacturer, such as Hollister, Bard, etc.?
A: ActivStyle stocks the most widely-used products from any particular manufacturer. It would not be cost effective for us to carry everything a manufacturer offers. Some products are not requested as often as others. Stock that is ordered infrequently could go out of usable date sitting on the shelves and then create waste. If something appears to be in high demand and we currently do not carry it, we will consider adding that product to our inventory.

We want to hear what FAQ topics you are interested in seeing! If you have questions or suggestions for future FAQs, please email us at .

If you have other questions for the ActivStyle Provider Services staff, feel free to give us a call 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.

 

ActivStyle News

Staying Healthy Keeps Us Here for YOU!

Especially in challenging times, we’re here for you. As an essential business, ActivStyle and its employees have remained on the job during the COVID-19 pandemic to serve you and your clients. We have taken extraordinary precautions to protect the health of our employees to help everyone stay healthy, on the job, and serving your needs.

• Employees are encouraged to stay home if they are not feeling well.
• We are providing masks and gloves for employees to wear while at work.
• We have implemented social distancing measures in our offices.
• We continue to uphold our already high standards of office cleanliness and have added additional enhanced cleanings in response to COVID-19.
• We are also providing additional sanitizers and cleaning supplies to our staff for individual work spaces, supplementing our regular cleanings.

Need Assistance? Contact Customer Service
We are on the job for you. Our customers are our top priority. As the situation surrounding COVID‑19 continues to evolve, we want to assure you that our Customer Service and Provider Services teams are here to support you. As always, our Provider Services representatives are available to speak with you directly at 855-373-5141 (Monday – Friday, 8AM-5PM Central Time).

Most of all, we’re grateful for the opportunity to continue serving and assisting you during this extraordinary time, now and in the future. We encourage you to keep up to date with the latest pandemic-related information at ActivStyle.com/covid19-updates.

 

ActivStyle is Your Partner in Patient Care

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, MN, 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 trained 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.