Help with an elder who removes the pouch daily

[Ivy24]

Hi, my grandma has had a colostomy for 3 years. At the beginning, everything was "fine", but recently she is removing her pouch daily. My mom is the one who takes care of her, and she has to change the bag 3 to 4 times a day!!!! Which is extremely tiring for her. My mom attaches perfectly the pouch. The real issue is that grandma is 80 years old, and she starts scratching around the stoma, and she removes the tape and the ring that has the glue (I don't know its name, sorry). And it's very frustrating for my mom. I want to help her, but I don't know what to do. Please!!!! Someone help me. How can we stop my grandma to unconsciously remove the bag. The doctor has told her about that, but she doesn't understand. Any recommendation???? Please

[Jimbob]

It could be that the adhesives on the Flange is irritating your Grandmothers skin and she scratches it. If your mother is not using skin prep she may try some, also sometimes people become allergic to the flange, particularly if it has tape. Might want to try a tapeless flange such as the Hollister new image tapeless.

Also if you have not seen an Ostomy Nurse (WOCN) they might have better suggestions. The nurses are generally so much better than doctors at ostomy management.

[Diane C]

I agree with Jimbob. The wafers -- the part that adheres to the skin -- can irritate some people's skin and be itchy. If your grandmother's skin is red, that's a pretty good sign -- although it could be from her scratching. Several of us "rotate" products because our skin can react to one manufacturer's appliance after a while and need a break from it. We use a different product but can usually go back to that original product if we liked it. Most companies have tapeless wafers or barriers. As example, Convatec makes durahesive wafers without any tape that adheres to the skin and which I find comfortable but everyone is different. She may have to experiment. Whichever manufacturer your grandmother has ordered from undoubtedly has tapeless wafers.

Also, many 2-piece systems come with a belt that keeps the appliance secure. I'm not sure if this would help or hinder. And it's one more thing for your mother to deal with.

There are also "tapes" which can be used to attach the barriers to the skin better and to avoid leakage but first determine if your grandmother finds the wafer or barrier objectionable and try a different kind. Coloplast has Brava strips (https://www.coloplast.us/brava-elastic- ... en-us.aspx) and Convatec has Ease strips which I've used to keep the barriers on my skin without too much discomfort. There's also Pink Hy tape with zinc oxide but your grandmother could have a reaction to any of these supplies and it's best to keep the system as simple as possible.

I tried to help a man with a colostomy after sudden cancer surgery who had Alzheimers'. He'd wake up in the wee hours, wonder about his ostomy, pull it off, and go back to bed. This went on until he passed away. Much laundry! And he was so embarrassed. A very distressing situation.

You can find support groups at the ostomy.org website near you. https://www.ostomy.org/support-group-finder/ Try to reach someone there or yes, I encourage you to contact the hospital's ostomy and wound center. The staff there are usually very savvy and can address your needs.

Good luck!

[steiconi]

Perhaps a compression garment (fancy name for a snug knit shirt) would make it harder for grandma to get the wafer off.

[smashms]

if your grandma has alzheimers it will be very hard for your mom to keep a wafer on her as she may not understand what it is there for. i agree with lee if you have tried another wafer and different products to be sure she isn't having an allergic reaction to them then getting a binder for her abdominal area may help but be careful 1) it isn't too tight and 2) the bag can be visible to check for access if needed.

[ot dave]

I second a compression shirt. You might also try an abdominal binder. You can get those pretty easily on amazon. Or simply a hernia belt my keep her away from the flange too.

David