Question
My aunt just came home from the hospital on Friday after a colostomy (as well as 2 other surgeries). As she is legally blind this will be a big challenge for her going forward.
Do you have any resources you might recommend in a situation such as hers? She lives in the Sutton Ontario area.
Response
Support is very important during the healing process, and beyond. There are many support resources available.
New and seasoned people with ostomies find value in connection with one another. There are many Ostomy Support Groups across Canada. Ostomy Canada Society chapters, satellites, and peer support groups have been organized, and are meant to provide an opportunity for persons who have had or may have ostomy surgery and their families, partners, caregivers and friends to meet, provide support and understanding and share information.
I highly recommend:
Contact your local Ostomy Support group, they are your best resource for peer support, the Ostomy Support groups can also offer in-home visits by trained Ostomates, and for assistance in locating a supplier for your ostomy equipment and products in or near your location, for example. Ostomy Chapters often invite a health care professional, such as a nurse who is specialized in ostomy care, a physician, pharmacist, or dietician to speak at the chapter meeting. There may also be a presentation from a representative of one of the manufacturers or suppliers of ostomy products.
To find a Support Group near you go to www.ostomycanada.ca. On top of the page, you will find the site menu, click on “Support”. At this time a drop-down menu will appear, click on “Local Ostomy Support Groups”, and follow the instructions.
Ostomy Canada Society Visitor Program – go to www.ostomycanada.ca. On top of the page you will find the site menus, click on “Support”. At this time a drop-down menu will appear, click on “Support Listing,” you will find the “Ostomy Canada Society Visitor Program,” click again.
Another very valuable resource is the NSWOC – Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence, there will be a nurse located close to you. The NSWOC is highly specialized with a wide range of knowledge and experience who work with ostomates and their ostomies. They are the go-to experts that will assist you in your healing process and ostomy care. To find a NSWOC professional in or near your location please click on this link – https://memberscaet.ca/find.phtml.
I also suggest that you may want to connect with the Canadian Institute for the Blind – (CNIB) https://cnib.ca/. The CNIB Foundation is a non-profit organization that delivers innovative programs and powerful advocacy, although not experts in Ostomy, they may have valuable information that will be of assistance.
Jo-Ann L. TremblayTHE OSTOMY FACTOR Blog – joannltremblay.wordpress.com
FACEBOOK – Author Jo-Ann L. Tremblay
TWITTER @joanntremblay
Author of “The Self-Coaching Toolbox” , “Better With A Bag Than In A Bag” , “Another BAG Another DAY”, “BAGs Around the World”, Why Buttercup Wears a BAG!”, “The Sibs Gang Cave of the Golden Heart”
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Member OstomyCanada /Medical Lifestyle Advisory Committee Member- Ostomy Lifestyle Expert
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Website: jo-annltremblay.com
Our friends over at Nurses Specialized In Wound, Ostomy And Continence Canada (formerly called The Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy (CAET)) have renamed their handy look-up page on their website. It was formerly called “Find An ET Nurse” and is now called “Find a NSWOC“. Click on the image to the left or link here to go to their site.