A Guide to Caring for Someone After Stoma Surgery

Every person is individual, so the level of care someone requires (or desires) when they come home after ostomy surgery will vary from person to person. This may also depend on a number of factors including the type of relationship you had before the surgery, the person’s health condition and their ability to perform daily living activities.

What is Ostomy Surgery and What is a Stoma?

If a person has undergone ostomy surgery, this will result in the formation of a stoma. Surgery may be required due to disease, defect, or trauma and is performed to help redirect faeces or urine from the body.

A stoma is an artificial opening out of the body allowing faeces or urine to exit the body before being collected into a special pouch adhering to the skin of the stomach. A stoma uses a portion of the intestine, which is brought through to the surface of the abdomen.

There are also different types of stomas.

A colostomy is when the stoma is created at any point along the large intestine or colon. A colostomy may be temporary or permanent depending on the medical reason for the surgery.

An ileostomy on the other hand, is when there is an opening along the small intestine or (ileum). An ileostomy may also be temporary or permanent depending on the medical reason for surgery.

A urostomy is required due to disease or damage to the urinary system. Another common term is an ileal conduit or colonic conduit. It is usually permanent.

For more information about the different types of stomas, visit our Types of Stomas page

Learning to Care for a Stoma

Following surgery many people return to full health and are able to manage their daily routines once again. However, there may be times where your loved one will require your help when changing their pouch. The following is a list of important skills to learn before your loved one comes home from hospital. They may not be necessary at all times, but it’s important you’re able to help in circumstances when someone you are caring for is unable to do it for themselves.

Emptying the pouch
Assessing the pouch
Assessing the skin around the stoma, and the stoma itself
Caring for the skin around the stoma
Changing the pouching system
Ordering supplies

The Stomal Therapy Nurse (STN) will be more than happy to set aside some time to teach you these skills.

Ostomy Supplies

There are many different types of supplies available in ostomy care and it can be overwhelming at first. If you would like to learn more about the different types of products, visit our Product Selections page. The Stomal Therapy Nurse will always be happy to explain the chosen products and the reasons for selection

A common concern is that your loved one will run out of stoma supplies and you won’t know where to get more. The STN will organise membership to a local Ostomy Association. Orders supplies can be made through an Ostomy Association. To view a list of the Ostomy Associations in Australia, click here.

Providing Care and Support

Support for your loved one can be anything from providing emotional support and encouragement to physical assistance. These can all be required at different points during their recovery period.

Here are some ways you can support your loved one:

Encourage the person to share how they are feeling. However, be patient as there will be times they won’t want to talk about their stoma. It’s important to respect their need for alone time.
When the person is open to discussing their feelings and emotions, just listening can often be an important part of caring.
Suggest and encourage techniques that have helped your loved one cope with difficult periods in the past. Some examples include meditation, prayer, or humour.
Participate in activities that your loved one found meaningful prior to their surgery. This can be a great way back into their normal routine.
Join a support group. Being with others who may be feeling the same emotions or have shared the same experiences can be comforting.

Caring for Yourself

As a caregiver there may be times when you experience your own physical and emotional struggles. Often caregivers hide their own feelings because they don’t want their loved one to be further burdened.

Your daily schedule may now include work, travelling back and forth to the hospital, taking care of children, trying to keep up with school work, and assuming additional responsibilities for your loved one. In amongst all of this, it is important that you don’t forget about your own self-care. It’s important to remember to: