It may save your life but being told you need stoma surgery is never an easy thing to hear. Even with the support of friends and family, the impact of a new stoma on your mental and physical health can be immense – how it functions, daily care and hygiene and figuring out your diet. And then there’s the confidence to leave the house in your new ‘normal’. This is where Stoma Groups can really help.
We’re lucky to have connected with Kenneth Edwards, Chair of Wessex Stoma Support Group, which offers so many ways in which members can feel supported. When you’re navigating life-changing healthcare, support groups offer a lifeline that so many can benefit from – by learning from others, sharing challenges, or simply being in a space with people who understand.
Thank you for speaking with us, Ken. Can you tell us how and when Wessex Support Group started?
WESSEX STOMA SUPPORT group was founded in 2006 to bring together all stoma, bowel and bladder patients starting with just six people and now has membership of over100. Our aim is to provide non-medical support and advice to all ostomates and their families during all stags – prior to surgery, during hospital says, and aftercare.
What does your Group do? How do people find you, and what reasons do they have for joining?
Our group offers a confidential way for people to connect and share experiences, and we offer a range of support services. We do home visits to those in most need, hospital visits, and phone calls with trained advisors within the group who can provide non-medical support. The group has regular meetings each month which brings our members together, with guest speakers and suppliers in attendance. We also run a summer social and Christmas Dinner – and the occasional seaside trip!
We produce a regular Newsletter every Quarter which as well as going to all members is distributed to all hospitals and GP surgeries in the area. In particular, the stoma nurses help distribute our booklet to new stoma patients.
We also have a website where patients can get the information.
Can you describe a regular meeting for us?
At our main meetings we go through regular business matters and take members’ queries. We normally have a speaker which offers updates from the healthcare industry or topics popular to our group; the talks can vary from medical related to wildlife talks or other organisations such as air ambulance, and sometimes we do chair yoga or deco-patch.
We then finish with a tea which includes sandwiches, cakes, sausage, rolls etc by our catering team
More frequently, in between these main meetings, we have Tea and Chat afternoons that can include an activity such and painting or craft work, where members can discuss problems one to one, in more detail. It offers a really important way for our members to help each other.
What are the common issues that people need help with? (no personal details pls)
Being able to talk with other stoma patients gives reassurance, confidence, support and empowerment. People can feel very lonely when they first get told they need a stoma, and we feel very strongly about providing that day to day support that hospitals just can’t offer.
Just knowing that there i s someone who has been through similar experiences and who is always available to talk to can be a great relief and we hope to continue providing that.
Support groups are so often run by passionate volunteers – what’s next for BOSG?
We do have a good team of volunteers and work together well. Our main aim is to attract new volunteers to keep the community thriving, and although getting new volunteer is a problem (not just for groups like ours, but a problem nationally) we’re confident we’ll be able to find good people to help us continue our important work..
Lastly – is there anything you’d like to share, for anyone interested in joining a stoma support group such as yours?
You will get a warm welcome, be made to feel at home and given much support at Wessex Stoma Group. Membership is just £5 per year and you can find our more details via our website: https://www.wessex-stoma.co.uk/ We’re also always looking for people who can help as a volunteer.
Telephone us on 01980 611978 or 07584 574311, or email [email protected]
Thank you for sharing this with us, we really appreciate your time. So many people benefit from groups like these, and when the patient becomes the ‘expert’ it can be very reassuring to have somewhere to turn to. We wish you and your Group Members all the best.
We’ve been delighted to connect with the Wessex Stoma Group, and welcome others to share their good practices with us, so that more people can benefit. Get in touch with our team.
