Catheter Care at Home
Proper catheter care is important to prevent complications such as infections, bladder stones and injury to the urethra. If you or your loved one require support with catheter care at home, our team of nurses and support workers at Caring Hands Community Support Services can help.
An Introduction to Urinary Catheters
A urinary catheter is a hollow, partially flexible tube inserted into the bladder through the genital opening, in order to collect or drain urine into a bag attached at the other end of the tube.
There are 3 types of urinary catheters and it’s important to know which type you are using so that you can properly care for it. The 3 types of urinary catheters are:
1. Indwelling or Foley Catheters
2. Intermittent or Short-Term Urinary Catheters
3. External or Condom Catheters
When Does Someone Need a Urinary Catheter?
Some individuals may need a urinary catheter only over a short-term, until the condition affecting their bladder resolves. Meanwhile, others may require long-term catheter use.
- Neurological conditions that may compromise the function of our bladder, such as multiple sclerosis, dementia and spinal cord injury
- Surgery on the prostate or genital area, especially if it requires general anesthesia
- Critical conditions that require accurate urine output monitoring
- Urinary retention
- Urinary incontinence
- Bladder outlet obstruction
- End-of-life care
- Kidney failure
- Lower urinary tract symptoms, such as urinary urgency and frequency
- Bladder calculi (i.e. the presence of calcium stones in the bladder)