Catheter care at home
urinary catheter care · Foley catheter at home · catheter bag care · indwelling catheter care
How to care for a bladder catheter and urine bag at home to prevent infection.
When a catheter has been placed for a while or long term, and you are going home.
⏱ Duration: care takes a few minutes a day; your doctor will say when to change the catheter
Be sure to tell your doctor
How to prepare
- What to buy. Spare urine bags, a larger night bag, soap, and clean towels. Check the list with the nurse.
- Training. Before going home, ask the nurse to show you how to change and empty the bag.
- Contacts. Write down who to call if the catheter stops working.
What to bring
- Your discharge papers with the date the catheter was placed
- Spare urine bags
- The clinic's or nurse's phone number
How it goes
- Wash your hands with soap before any care
- Once or twice a day, wash the skin around the catheter with warm soapy water
- Keep the bag below the level of your bladder
- Empty the bag when it is half to two thirds full
- Make sure the tube is not kinked
- Change the bag when the nurse told you to
What you'll feel
- Sometimes an urge to pee. This is normal
- A little leaking around the catheter can happen
Afterwards
- Drink enough water, unless your doctor has limited it
- A nurse or doctor changes the catheter. Do not pull it out yourself
- Showers are usually fine. Ask your doctor about baths and pools
Contact a doctor straight away if
- No urine flows into the bag for a few hours, and your belly swells and hurts
- A fever over 38°C (100.4°F) or chills
- Urine is cloudy, smells bad, or has blood
- The catheter falls out: do not put it back yourself. Call your doctor
Common questions
Can I go out and work with a catheter?
Yes. The bag straps to your leg under your clothes. Just keep it below your bladder.
Why does urine leak around the catheter?
It can happen with bladder spasms or a kinked tube. Check the tube. If it does not stop, tell your doctor.