5-8% of people living in a residential aged care home have an indwelling catheter.

NARI's recent analysis of Victorian’s state-based Residential-in-Reach Services (RIRS) and an evaluation conducted by the Australian Centre for Evidence-Based Aged Care identified indwelling urinary catheter (IDC) care for aged care residents as a significant clinical risk. This highlighted the need for a better understanding of the challenges associated with IDCs and related care to inform effective clinical governance systems.

This project sought insights into the experience of living with an IDC in residential aged care homes and the barriers to receiving care by consulting with key stakeholders in Victorian residential aged care homes, including residents, staff and managers.

This provided a better understanding of:

• Residents' experiences of having an indwelling catheter
• Staff members' experiences of caring for residents with catheters
• Managers' experiences of minimising risks associated with catheter use.

This has contributed to a person-centred and evidence-based approach to catheter use in Victorian residential aged care.