Colostomy care for Seniors

What is colostomy care?

If you have a stoma in place, then you need to be confident that any colostomy care you receive is going to look after it properly. At Helping Hands, our expert carers offer visiting and live-in care options and can be specially trained by our clinical nurse team to care for your colostomy, meaning that you remain comfortable and confident, both inside your home and out of it.

A colostomy operation may be necessary due to cancer, Crohn’s disease, or other circumstances, so that stools can be evacuated from the body via a stoma – an opening that stitches part of the bowel to the skin of your abdomen. A bag is worn over the stoma and collects stools from the body as they cannot be evacuated in the traditional way. Whether your bag consists of one or two pieces, and is drainable or closed, our carers will have all the skills necessary to ensure your routine continues as you’ve always liked it to.

Why colostomy care is essential

When you’re living with a colostomy, you don’t want it to rule your life.

Our amazing carers can offer discreet support that will keep you enjoying life the way you always have. Expert support is essential to ensure that your stoma always remains clean and well-maintained, avoiding infection and other complications.

We provide every single one of our carers with training to help you after a colostomy operation, so that they can empty and change your bag, plus always keep the stoma clean and free from irritation.

The benefits of care include:

Help emptying your bag

If you struggle to empty your own bag or remove it for essential stoma cleaning, our carers can take all of the worry out of living with the results of a colostomy operation

Maintaining your stoma

Colostomy care is a standard part of the clinical support we offer to our customers and is important for maintaining the health of your stoma

Complex care needs

We specially train carers to become familiar with the more complex needs of their customers, including all aspects of colostomy care and needs related to your condition

How we support seniors with colostomy care

Many people live a full and relatively unaffected life with an ostomy, especially if they’ve had it since they were young, but if you have had a colostomy operation later in life you may find it harder to adjust to life afterwards.

We’ve been caring for people living with ostomies for over 30 years, meaning we are expert at supporting our customers to live as comfortably and independently as possible. Our expert stoma care will ensure you don’t feel like your stoma is ruling your life and is preventing you enjoying the routine you’ve always had. Skin care is vitally important when living with a colostomy, otherwise the stoma can easily become inflamed and sore. This can happen from coming into contact with faeces, the adhesive used on the bag, or skin not being dried effectively.

Our carers are trained to notice when something isn’t as it should be and will work closely with your wider healthcare team – such as your stoma nurse – to raise the alarm if something looks unusual. Your carer will be an important part of the stoma care team and can accompany you to appointments and check-ups while you’re recovering from your colostomy operation.

At Helping Hands we’ve never believed that ‘one size fits all’ considering person-centred care to be at the heart of everything we do. Therefore, everyone who works for us puts their customers centrally in their own support journey, offering care that’s delivered by us but designed by you. Our carers receive superior training and development opportunities so that they are always at the forefront of industry advancements, and because we have our own team of clinical nurses working for us, we can update your carers’ knowledge as quickly as your needs change.

However you like to live your life, we can be by your side to make it happen – whether that’s enjoying all that your community has to offer, remaining at home and enjoying your surroundings, or travelling further afield.

Our carers can accompany you on a well-earned holiday if you like to travel, support you to walk the dog in your local park, or even just bring you a cool glass of lemonade in the garden on a warm day.

Colostomy care FAQs

How often should colostomy care be carried out?: Colostomy care should be carried out as often as you need it, but according to the NHS, “Closed bags may need changing 1 to 3 times a day. There are also drainable bags that need to be replaced every 2 or 3 days.” Around the emptying and changing of your bag you also need to be confident that your carers are trained to maintain your skin integrity and care for the stoma effectively. We’ll design your support around your requirements, meaning you can have support from your visiting carer several times a day or your live-in carer continuously.
How do I arrange elderly colostomy care at home?: Arranging elderly colostomy care at home is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

You can contact our friendly customer care team via our online form, or arrange for us to call you back at a time that suits you, seven days a week

You can give us a call on your local number and have a chat with your dedicated care team. With 150 branches across England and Wales, we’re bound to have one near you

Pop in and have a chat with us in-person; we’d love to meet you and discuss your needs.
How quickly can I receive care?: Depending on your circumstances, region, and complexity of needs, we can frequently have care in place within 24-48 hours, sometimes even quicker in an emergency. We will plan your care around your exact needs, and you’ll have the full support of a local manager who will ensure you and your care team are always supported.
Thanks to our ‘whole-person’, holistic care you’ll have all the support you need from a carer who comes to your home when you need them. This could be helping you first thing in the morning, last thing at night, or around the clock.
And because our entire service is regulated by the Care Quality Commission and Care Inspectorate Wales, you and your loved ones will never have to worry that you’re getting anything less than the very highest standards of care delivery.