How to change resident with broken leg or ostomy bag?

[Noob_to_Nursing]

Hello all! I have a few questions:

1. How do you personally change the brief of a resident who has a broken leg in a brace?

2. How do you personally change the brief of a resident who has an ostomy bag?

I'm talking about residents who are total care and need a lot of assistance in turning, etc.

Thanks!

[LaterAlligator]

If someone has a leg brace and I need to roll them, I usually put a pillow between their knees before turning them so the brace doesn't hurt the unbraced one, and use the draw sheet underneath to help them roll while having them grab the side rail just like I would with anyone else who I had to turn. Just keep the pillow low enough that it doesn't get dirty (like knee/calf area, not inner thighs).

For an ostomy my best tip is to fold the sack where it opens so it has a cuff, just like you would cuff your jeans (just one fold, not more). That way when you're squeezing out the poo, it doesn't get on the edges of the bag which you're going to have to handle when you clip it. Once you're done cleaning the bag out, fold the bag and clip it along that edge where you started the cuff. This is really hard to explain with no visuals, sorry!

[rainbowskin]

Hello all! I have a few questions:

1. How do you personally change the brief of a resident who has a broken leg in a brace?

2. How do you personally change the brief of a resident who has an ostomy bag?

I'm talking about residents who are total care and need a lot of assistance in turning, etc.

Thanks!

Good questions! For a brief change on someone with a broken leg I'd support their broken leg side and let them use their strong side for support, now if they are total care I'd still do the same thing because I'd want to protect the broken leg. I'd change the brief supporting the weak side of course.

For someone with an ostomy bag, I'd just make sure it's out of the way but intact. You could tape it to their inner thigh if you have to move them a lot.. but the less interruption you have to do the better.

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

With a broken leg I get another CNA and we basically log roll them with a pillow between the legs.

I've never had to do anything different with an ostomy bag. I just avoid touching it or rolling the person over on it so it doesn't burst or pop off.

[CoffeemateCNA]

Changing a brief with an ostomy is no different than someone without an ostomy, just remember to make a slit/rip in the top front of the brief where the stoma is so that the ostomy bag is not trapped under the brief. A trapped ostomy bag can cause skin breakdown and has the potential to cause fungal infections.