New year, new goals: the ostomy SMART goals worksheet

Adjusting to an ostomy is difficult for most people, but it doesn't mean you can't enjoy a full and productive life. Caring for an ostomy requires changes to your normal self-care routine, which can be challenging for new and experienced ostomates alike. Setting self-care goals helps you work through those challenges and take the steps that normalize your lifestyle.

When choosing a goal, think about the parts of self-care you find most difficult. It might be something as simple as emptying your pouch, or improving your nutritional intake. Whatever it is, it's affecting how well you can fit key self-care activities into your day.

What makes a goal SMART

• Specific — well defined, detailed and clear

• Measurable — you should be able to tell when you've reached it

• Achievable — can you reach it given your type of ostomy and the supplies required?

• Realistic — can you reach it within the timeframe, with the supplies you have?

• Timely — set a start date and a finish date

Write an initial goal, test it against those five questions, then revise it into your SMART goal.

A worked example: staying hydrated after ileostomy surgery

Hydration is extremely important to ostomy health, but new ostomates often struggle to drink the amount of water-based fluid their surgeon recommends. The right amount differs for every patient, depending on the type of ostomy and other health concerns — congestive heart failure or chronic kidney disease both affect fluid intake.

Initial goal: drink enough water-based fluid to replace the output that comes into my pouch.

• Specific — "My physician tells me to drink 3 quarts of water-based fluid daily."

• Measurable — "I will obtain a 1-quart drink container to fill with water-based fluids."

• Achievable — "I will fill a 1-quart water bottle three separate times through the day."

• Realistic — "I have the container and can document my intake on my ostomy action plan."

• Timely — "I can start increasing my water consumption today and will monitor it for at least four weeks, until it becomes a habit."

SMART goal: "I will begin consuming 3 quarts of water-based fluids daily as a routine part of my ostomy self-care."

Build an action plan

Once your goal is set, list the steps needed to reach it, each with an expected completion date and space to record the actual one. Then think ahead about what might get in the way — write down each obstacle alongside a solution, so you've decided what to do before it happens.

Get the worksheet

Download Corstrata's Ostomy SMART Goals Worksheet to fill in your own goal and action plan.