Caring for a person with a stoma and dementia

14 August, 2019

We’ve teamed up with Dementia UK to produce a practical guide to caring for a person with a stoma and dementia.

It’s full of loads of great hints & tips that are suitable for care professionals and family members alike.

Here are half a dozen practical tips to make changing a bag easier.

Bag changing and stoma care

Lessons should break tasks down into small, simple steps, with repetition and continuity being key components.

Where possible, the above should take place in quiet and familiar surroundings.

Some people with dementia benefit from written instructions. Others may be helped by the diagrams in our

If the person with dementia is elderly, it is important to remember that they may have other conditions (such as hearing loss) that can impair learning and so need to be taken into account.

People with dementia who are actively involved in changing their bags should be encouraged to wear gloves. This reduces the risk of infection, faeces under the nails and faecal spreading.

Some people with dementia who require their bag to be changed for them might resist. In these cases, distraction could help. For instance, encouraging the person to clean their teeth or brush their hair during the process might be helpful. Standing the person in front of a mirror so they can focus on the task they are performing and not the bag change can also help.

For  further guidance you can download the booklet here

Did you know that our ‘Caring for a person with a stoma’ workshops provide both professional carers and family members with practical advice and guidance on how to care for someone with a stoma?

The project allows individuals, support groups, care home & agency staff, and reablement teams to benefit from an intensive two-hour workshop that covers everything from stoma management, to a guide to different appliances, common concerns, support from Stoma Care Nurses, caring for a person with a stoma & dementia, and the psychological issues connected with having a stoma.

By educating care staff on the practical and emotional side of stoma care we can directly improve the quality of life of those ostomates who need regular care and support.

If you would like to find out more contact Giovanni on: 0118 939 1537 or email Giovanni.Cinque@ColostomyUK.org