Nurse-led community care
Dignified continence, catheter and stoma support within an agreed clinical plan.
Dignified continence, catheter and stoma support based on individual assessment, current clinical instructions and the person’s preferred routines.
Private, dignified continence and stoma support
Understanding the service
This service supports adults living with continence needs, an indwelling or intermittent catheter, or a stoma. Alongside the practical and clinical tasks, dignity is central: how support is offered, who provides it, where it happens and how privacy is protected often matter to the person as much as the procedure itself.
Who this service may help
Support is often needed after surgery that created a stoma, following catheterisation, where continence has changed with illness or reduced mobility, or where a family member finds intimate care difficult to provide. Providers and community teams also request assistance to maintain a routine reliably at home.
Suitability depends on the complete picture rather than a diagnosis or a requested intervention alone. The circumstances below are the ones people most often describe when they contact Care Circle about this service.
What Care Circle can provide
Support can include dignified continence assistance and product use, catheter hygiene, drainage and bag changes, catheter observation and blockage recognition, stoma-site observation, appliance changes where authorised and within assessed competence, skin protection, fluid and output monitoring, and prompt reporting of change.
Nothing below is offered automatically. Each element is included only where the assessment, written clinical instructions and Care Circle’s registered scope support it, and where a professional assessed as competent for that task is available.
How the service is planned
Assessment confirms the catheter or appliance type, change intervals, who performs catheter changes, supply and prescription arrangements, and the specialist nurse or clinic involved. Continence assessment findings and any bladder or bowel plan are incorporated, along with preferences about who provides intimate care.
With consent, Care Circle can coordinate with the person, family, GP, continence service, urology team, colorectal team, stoma nurse, pharmacy, community team, hospital or commissioner.
The professionals involved
Registered nurses undertake catheter changes and clinical assessment where these are authorised and within Care Circle's registered scope; trained support workers provide daily hygiene, bag emptying and observation. Stoma-appliance changes are carried out only where staff are competency-assessed and the specialist stoma nurse remains involved.
Competence is specific
A qualification or registration does not authorise every task. Care Circle matches professionals to the interventions written into the plan, and reassesses when needs, equipment or instructions change.
Safety, monitoring and escalation
Records cover output, appliance and catheter condition, skin integrity and any discomfort. The plan defines the response to no drainage, bypassing, bleeding, suspected urinary infection, stoma retraction or skin breakdown, and when the specialist nurse, GP or emergency services must be contacted.
Frequently asked questions
Next step
Following your enquiry or referral, Care Circle will confirm the appliance and catheter details required, the competencies involved, and whether the requested support can be provided within its registered scope. Service availability is subject to individual assessment, Care Circle’s registered scope, professional authorisation where required, and the availability of appropriately trained and competency-assessed professionals.