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My grandmother has dementia and recently had a colonostomy, she has had it for a month now with a few accidents with ripping it off, but now it's almost every night that she pulls it off. I sleep in the room with her and can hear if she starts to mess with it but sometimes I won't wake up in time and then have to clean her up. She has a dry dressing right next to her colonostomy bag and its a large wound and she has ripped that off multiple times too. I'm concerned with her hurting herself because sometimes she will cause her stoma to bleed. I have asked multiple Drs. and Nurses about what I can do to prevent this from happening and no one has been able to help me. I've tried applying ace bandages around her torso, I bought a stomach gurdle type that is used for post partum recovery to block the area and that slides up in the middle of the night and then she has access to it again. She gets up a few times a night to use the restroom so I would not be able to put mittens on her. I would appreciate any advice to help solve this issue. Thank you.

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Don't forget that the pouch has to be able to expand, and the wrapping mustn't interfere with the valve that allows flatus to escape - it's not going to be straightforward to put any kind of bandaging in place that will be secure but not inelastic.

And then, the pouch has to be detachable. But not detachable by this particular patient!

And the patient is still transferring independently to the toilet. So onesies or any other clothing that she can't undo are out.

Sheesh, a poser!
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Is the stomach girdle similar to the stoma belts? Is the size right, so it won't ride up? Can she wear something else over that, to prevent access to it? Perhaps try using something call Vet Wrap over the stoma belt - originally designed for horses, it is now commonly used by vets for pets AND by medical personnel for people too! It sticks to itself and it can be harder for someone to remove it themselves, esp with dementia. I've had trouble removing the ones my vet puts on the cats!

It goes by many names, but if you search for Vet Wrap, all options should come up.
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Who supplies her colostomy pouches? The reason I ask is that I'd ask them. Your grandmother will not be the first patient who has both a recent colostomy and dementia, and when it comes to colostomy care they absolutely are the experts - if anyone's got a solution to this problem they will.

I hope it'll be worth a try at least, but having said that... your grandmother is being left unsupervised to use the bathroom a few times a night. I think you might be asking too much to expect her to do this unsupported and leave her colostomy alone.

I must also admit I thought those girdles had gone out with the Ark.

Why did she need the colostomy?
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I think that this is something that can be fixed with anti strip clothing, basically one piece jumpsuits that zip in back. Amazon, Buck and Buck or Silverts all carry these.
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disgustedtoo Apr 2021
That would be my suggestion too, except that OP mentions she gets up multiple times/night to use the bathroom. The onesie would likely cause issues there.
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