Indwelling Catheter Care: Things to Know
Indwelling catheter care is part of our intermittent and shift care. As part of our home health care services, licensed and registered nurses perform this type of care.
As the name suggests, an indwelling catheter resides within your body. This catheter drains urine from your bladder into a bag outside your body. Common reasons to have an indwelling catheter are urinary incontinence, urinary retention, a surgery that made this catheter necessary, or another health problem.
Suppose you or a loved one requires skilled nursing care for their catheter due to a condition or surgery. Our home health care agency in Covina, California can provide expert and dependable support to make life comfortable when that situation arises.
Learning how to clean a catheter is important. Doing so will help the patient prevent infections from entering their body. Today, we would like to share some tips on how you can effectively clean your indwelling catheter. You will need clean water, two washcloths, two hand towels, mild soap, and a clean container or sink.
- Thoroughly clean your hands with soap and water.
- Wet a washcloth and apply soap. Gently wash around the area where the catheter goes in with the soapy washcloth. Females should wipe from front to back. Males should wipe from the tip of the penis downward.
- Rinse the washcloth with water until the soap is gone. Add more soap to the washcloth and use it to wash your upper legs and buttocks gently.
- Rinse and pat dry with a clean towel. Do not use creams, powders, or sprays near this area.
If you cannot do this yourself, 24 Seven Home Health, Inc.’s home health services in Covina, California, can step in to assist you. Call 909-593-0900 for details.