Data from the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding model indicates that, in 2022-23, over 20,000 aged care residents (8%) in Australia needed support for a catheter of some type – most likely a long-term indwelling urinary catheter (IDC). Although IDCs are potentially beneficial, many people experience complications such as infection. 

NARI is conducting a three-year research study, titled 'IDC-IMPROVE', that aims to strengthen the capacity of Australia’s aged care workforce to care for people with IDCs who live in residential aged care homes. The project is a nurse-led interdisciplinary research collaboration funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Medical Research Future Fund and was recently featured in the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal.

After consulting with key stakeholders and reviewing the current evidence, the IDC-IMPROVE project team have designed and validated a number of resources to support residential aged care homes in improving IDC care. These include:

• An online course for registered and enrolled nurses about person-centred IDC care
• An online course for personal care workers about person-centred IDC care
• A ‘Catheter Care Toolkit’ for managers/senior leaders
• A ‘Catheter Care Audit Tool’
• Catheter care capabilities for nurses and personal care workers
• An evidence-to-practice support model

NARI has also partnered with the Continence Foundation of Australia to deliver site-based catheterisation skills workshops where residential aged care nurses can develop and practice catheterisation skills in a safe environment.

The IDC-IMPROVE project team are now evaluating whether the resources are fit-for-purpose and feasible to implement. This will be done through a multi-centre, facility-level cluster randomised control feasibility trial involving 24 residential aged care homes in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland.

To find out more about the IDC-IMPROVE project, including how you can be involved, visit the IDC-IMPROVE research project page or contact Dr Joan Ostaszkiewicz (Clinical Gerontology Program Manager) via e-mail at [email protected].