Nurses in a large metropolitan home health agency reported problems with Foley catheter leakage. A university faculty member and two nurses employed by the agency did a descriptive research study to determine the incidence of leakage from indwelling urinary catheters in the home setting and established a causal relationship which could provide the basis for future studies. The results indicated a 65% incidence of catheter leakage and a relationship between catheter leakage and bowel problems, as well as catheter leakage and urinary tract infections.