Reflective Account
Changing a Colostomy
Mrs X is one of our youngest residents aged 66. She has been in the care home for over 10 years after suffering a brain haemorrhage which affected her mobility and ability to communicate. She requires a substantial amount of care at all times as a result of this. Mrs X also developed problems with her bowel which resulted in her being given a colostomy bag. Generally Mrs X bag requires changing one to two times per day.
My mentor asked if I would assist her to change Mrs X bag. I was apprehensive and nervous as I had never seen this procedure being done before and was slightly worried about how well I would cope. My mentor and I gathered wipes, bags and a fresh colostomy bag and put on all personal protective equipment (PPE) including a white apron and gloves thus adhering to the control of substances hazardous to health which states using chemicals or other hazardous substances at work puts other peoples health at risk, so law requires employers to control exposure to hazardous substances to prevent ill health. They have to protect both employees and others who may be exposed by complying with COSSH. (COSHH 2002).
When removing the bag, my mentor asked that i remove it slowly with care to avoid any tears to the skin. As Mrs X already has underlying problems with her sensitive skin, we made sure we used wet wipes with no products which could irritate her skin further. We cleaned the site thoroughly and disposed of waste produce before putting on a fresh colostomy bag. After doing so, we applied some aqueous cream to the surrounding area to relieve any discomfort. Mrs X seemed a little agitated when removing the bag and showed signs of nervousness by scratching her head vigorously, However i reassured her and she seemed settled when she was cleaned up.
After assisting with the procedure, I decided to do some research on colostomy bags. I found that it is a common surgical procedure which pulls a section of the large intestine through
Mrs X is one of our youngest residents aged 66. She has been in the care home for over 10 years after suffering a brain haemorrhage which affected her mobility and ability to communicate. She requires a substantial amount of care at all times as a result of this. Mrs X also developed problems with her bowel which resulted in her being given a colostomy bag. Generally Mrs X bag requires changing one to two times per day.
My mentor asked if I would assist her to change Mrs X bag. I was apprehensive and nervous as I had never seen this procedure being done before and was slightly worried about how well I would cope. My mentor and I gathered wipes, bags and a fresh colostomy bag and put on all personal protective equipment (PPE) including a white apron and gloves thus adhering to the control of substances hazardous to health which states using chemicals or other hazardous substances at work puts other peoples health at risk, so law requires employers to control exposure to hazardous substances to prevent ill health. They have to protect both employees and others who may be exposed by complying with COSSH. (COSHH 2002).
When removing the bag, my mentor asked that i remove it slowly with care to avoid any tears to the skin. As Mrs X already has underlying problems with her sensitive skin, we made sure we used wet wipes with no products which could irritate her skin further. We cleaned the site thoroughly and disposed of waste produce before putting on a fresh colostomy bag. After doing so, we applied some aqueous cream to the surrounding area to relieve any discomfort. Mrs X seemed a little agitated when removing the bag and showed signs of nervousness by scratching her head vigorously, However i reassured her and she seemed settled when she was cleaned up.
After assisting with the procedure, I decided to do some research on colostomy bags. I found that it is a common surgical procedure which pulls a section of the large intestine through