Cognitive impairment & additional needs​

Providing the right support and the right products is essential in helping people to manage day to day life with an ostomy.

Supporting a person with both cognitive or physical impairment and a stoma can be extremely challenging and frustrating for both the carer and the ostomate.

Those with dementia, for example, often find having a stoma bag confusing and distressing, resulting in them fiddling with the bag, ripping it off and experiencing difficulty changing bags – all of which can cause the seal to fail with catastrophic results. For the carer, the added pressure of helping keep the ostomate clean and in turn the peristomal skin healthy can be an added challenge.

Similarly, patients suffering from physical impairments like neuropathy or impaired vision, as well as learning disabilities, can also pose a challenge when combined with having a stoma.

View our webinar below for some examples of both carers and clinicians managing ostomates with cognitive impairment.