Experiences of wearing support garments by people living with a urostomy.
BACKGROUND support garments are commonly worn by people with a urostomy but there are no published data about their experiences of doing so. AIMS to identify the views of people living with a urostomy on the role of support garments. METHODS a cross sectional survey of the stoma population's experiences of support garments was conducted in 2018. Recruitment was by social media. The free text responses provided by a sub sample of 58 people out of 103 respondents with a urostomy, were analysed. FINDINGS thematic analysis revealed four themes: physical self management; psychosocial self management; lifestyle; and healthcare advice and support. There were mixed feelings about the value of support garments. Many cited a sense of reassurance and confidence and being able to be more sociable and active; others reported discomfort and uncertainty about their value. CONCLUSION these findings add new understanding of experiences of support garments and provide novel theoretical insights about life with a urostomy.
British journal of nursing