{"id":345886,"date":"2025-11-01T03:48:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T03:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk\/?page_id=345886"},"modified":"2025-12-04T15:38:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T15:38:30","slug":"stoma-care","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk\/nursing-care\/clinical-intervention\/stoma-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Stoma care"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tStoma care\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\"Stoma\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n
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Daily stoma management<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

Experiencing bladder or bowel problems can cause you concern about how best to manage it. If you subsequently need to have a stoma, that can add another layer of anxiety as you worry how you will live your normal quality of life while ensuring your personal care needs are fully met.<\/p>\n

Our carers are able to support with Colostomy, Ileostomy or Urostomy, which are surgical openings on the abdomen to aid the collection of urine and faeces outside of the body if you are unable to go to the toilet conventionally. While a stoma can take a little bit of getting used to, once you\u2019ve adjusted there is no reason at all why you can\u2019t enjoy life the way you always have.<\/p>\n

With more than 35 years of experience providing exceptional bladder and bowel care for our customers, Helping Hands\u2019 highly-trained carers, who are all supported by nurses, ensure that whether you need our support with your urostomy, ileostomy, or colostomy, we can help.<\/p>\n

Our carers can come to you on either a\u00a0visiting care<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0live-in care<\/a>\u00a0basis, meaning your stoma care is always our priority, and your personalised care package will continually put you at the very centre of your support.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

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Emptying and changing the stoma bag<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

Our carers<\/a>\u00a0are trained in aspects of more complex care to ensure that every element of your stoma care needs are covered. They will be trained in how to empty and change your stoma bag, ensuring a continuity of care from you doing things yourself.<\/p>\n

Our bladder and bowel care management include supporting you with your medication, from using specialist equipment such as as rectal irrigation system (RIS) to supporting with manual evacuation and digital stimulation. Our expert stoma care at home will ensure you continue with the routine you\u2019ve always enjoyed, and don\u2019t need to feel that your stoma is ruling your life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

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Irrigation<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

Irrigating a stoma can be life-changing for some people as it means you may not need to wear a bag, which would be some people\u2019s choice. However, it doesn\u2019t suit everyone and it\u2019s important that a trained stoma care nurse or another medical professional has supported you to make this decision.<\/p>\n

Irrigation means flushing the stoma out with water to ensure that the contents of the bowel (or wherever the stoma is located) are emptied fully, but it\u2019s important to do this at about the same time each day as part of a regular routine. Therefore, if maintaining a regular routine is difficult for you, irrigation may not be suitable.<\/p>\n

Your carer will be specially trained on the equipment needed and other aspects of your stoma routine, meaning that if you are struggling to carry it out, perhaps due to lack of dexterity, they can undertake it for you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

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Skin care<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

It\u2019s important to care for the skin around a stoma as otherwise it can become sore and inflamed. There are several reasons why skin around a stoma can become so sore, such as contact with urine\/faeces, a reaction to adhesive used, or skin not being dried properly after washing.<\/p>\n

Any concerns about the condition of the skin should always be communicated to the stoma nurse or other healthcare professional, however your carer can be an integral part of your stoma care team and ensure your skin is always properly cared for. They will raise the alarm if they have any concerns about what your stoma and the surrounding area looks like, accompanying you to the doctor if necessary or ensuring that it is seen by the stoma nurse.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

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Living with a stoma<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

Living with a stoma doesn\u2019t mean your life will have to change, and many ostomates (someone who is living with an ostomy) continue to do the things they always have done with little compromise. Not everyone adapts as well as others though and because everyone is different it\u2019s going to take some people longer than others to get used to it.<\/p>\n

Because our carers are not trained to believe that \u2018one size fits all\u2019, we approach each customer in a person-centred manner that means their care is always tailored to their personal circumstances. While having a stoma may mean some adjustments are necessary, these can be discussed with your stoma nurse or surgeon and mean your life and daily routine continues as you wish it to.<\/p>\n

Some of the circumstances that may need to be looked at more closely include:<\/p>\n

Travel<\/span><\/h5>\n

Whether you prefer to be in the lap of luxury for your holidays or live off the beaten track, with some careful adjustments you should still be able to enjoy travelling with a stoma. If you love cruising or staying in luxury resorts you should find that you don\u2019t have to make too many adjustments, as they tend to have all the facilities you would find at home, or perhaps even better!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s always important to have comprehensive travel insurance regardless of where you\u2019re going, just in case you need medical assistance while you\u2019re away. If you\u2019re determined to go somewhere that facilities may be limited though it\u2019s worth having a chat to your travel agent or tour operator to ensure that you won\u2019t be left in an uncomfortable or unsanitary situation.<\/p>\n

Our carers can also be taken with you when you travel if necessary, meaning that you get consistent support for the whole time that you\u2019re away, just as if you were at home.<\/p>\n

Work<\/span><\/h5>\n

Employers have an obligation to make reasonable adjustments to their employees\u2019 working environment so that they can carry out their role effectively. Consequently, if you are living with a stoma, you can expect your workplace to ensure you always have appropriate facilities to take care of it. You may not need any changes made for you and would rather attention wasn\u2019t drawn to it, however you should be aware that you can ask for support if you require it.<\/p>\n

Our carers can accompany every aspect of your daily life, such as work and study, so that you can carry on with everything you wish to do.<\/p>\n

Medicine<\/span><\/h5>\n

If you are required to take medication at a certain time each day to keep you in the best of health, it\u2019s important you take it as directed. If this is becoming a problem because you are forgetting to do so or unwilling to do it yourself, it could compromise the health of your stoma and mean you are more vulnerable to infection or illness. Helping Hands carers are able to fully support the management of your medication, making sure you take it when you\u2019re supposed to and finding solutions if you are not comfortable taking it.<\/p>\n

Our carers are proactive at finding solutions, in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, so will encourage you to talk to your doctor or stoma nurse if necessary. They will then be instrumental in helping you to familiarise yourself with your new medication plan and ensure you understand how it needs to be administered.<\/p>\n

Physical activity<\/span><\/h5>\n

If you\u2019ve always been an active person and enjoy competitive sports or exercising for leisure, there\u2019s no reason why you shouldn\u2019t continue doing so once you\u2019ve recovered from your surgery. Your stoma nurse or surgeon will advise you on what activities you can safely do and what changes you should look out for, however if they are happy with your progress they may just say you can exercise as you did previously.<\/p>\n

Swimming may be something that people presume is no longer possible if you\u2019re wearing a stoma bag, however according to Colostomy UK, that isn\u2019t the case because \u201cthe adhesive on stoma bags remains effective in water.\u201d You can also find supportive swimwear that means no-one will ever know you\u2019re wearing a colostomy bag<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Stoma care at home from trained nurses<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

At Helping Hands we\u2019ve been providing nurse-led,\u00a0private home care services<\/a>\u00a0for our stoma customers for more than 30 years, meaning that we\u2019ve supported thousands of people to live well and as independently as possible with their stoma.<\/p>\n

Our carers are equipped with all the skills they\u2019ll need to ensure your stoma is managed properly, from the very first time we speak to you. You\u2019ll be given an initial assessment that will ensure we have all the information necessary to effectively deliver your care, and we\u2019ll ensure your carer works closely with your family and stoma nurse, if required.<\/p>\n

Alongside your multi-disciplinary continence team, our carers will work under the supervision of our nurses to provide you with every aspect of your continence care, including:<\/p>\n