Constipation is common among seniors but is easily resolved with a few tips, like eating more fiber and exercising regularly. It’s also important to remember that there’s no right number of bowel movements a senior should have per day. Here are 5 ways to help the elderly with constipation.
What is constipation?
When older adults evacuate their bowels fewer than three times per week and their stool is hard, small, and dry, they likely suffer from constipation. The contents inside the gut harden after three days without a bowel movement, making passing bowels difficult and painful.
How common is constipation?
About one-third of people over the age of 60 experience symptoms of constipation on occasion. Chronic constipation occurs in about 16 percent of adults in general. In the United States, two million people seek medical care for help with symptoms of constipation. It is a common gastrointestinal complaint.
Infrequent bowel movements may be an indication of constipation. It’s important to remember that the definition of being regular varies from senior to senior. Some elderly individuals may pass bowels twice a day while others have bowel movements three times weekly.
What causes constipation?
Several reasons are behind constipation. Lifestyle, for instance, can impact the number of bowel movements a senior has. Low-fiber intake is a prime culprit. Seniors may not eat enough high-fiber foods, like fruits and vegetables. Eating excessive high-fat foods also causes constipation.
Harder stools are the result of not drinking enough liquids. A lack of physical activity also contributes to constipation. Seniors who travel are likely to experience constipation. Some medications, like painkillers, diuretics, blood pressure drugs, anticholinergics, and antidepressants, cause bowel issues.
Some common medical conditions lead to problems passing bowels. Diabetes affects the metabolism and can cause constipation. Tumors and irritable bowel syndrome can lead to it, as well. Stroke, which affects the nerves used for bowel movements, can likewise cause constipation.
What are tips to help seniors with constipation?
Tip 1: Stay Hydrated
Most of the time, constipation is not serious and is treatable at home. Drinking more water combats dehydration and its result—constipation. Relieve existing constipation by consuming sparkling water, which is more effective than tap water. Carbonated water gets the digestive system moving again.
Older adults who drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day prevent constipation. However, try to avoid drinking beverages that contribute to dehydration and symptoms of constipation, such as alcohol and caffeinated colas and coffees. Fruit and vegetable juices and clear soups help with hydration.
Tip 2: Consume More Soluble Fiber
Constipation may be relieved by adding more soluble fiber to the senior’s diet. Soluble fibers include those found in barley, oat bran, nuts, lentils, and some fruits and vegetables. This type of fiber absorbs water, thereby softening stools and improving their consistency.
Insoluble fibers are recommended, as well. They are found in whole grains, wheat bran, and vegetables. This type of fiber adds bulk to stools and can help stools pass more quickly through the digestive system. Treating existing constipation is done with non-fermentable soluble fibers, like psyllium.
Tip 3: Increase Physical Activity
Staying active is shown to improve symptoms of constipation by getting the bowels moving. On the other hand, being sedentary contributes to the difficulty of passing bowels. Seniors who live with irritable bowel syndrome benefit from brisk walking, which improves digestive symptoms.
By incorporating exercise into a daily schedule, seniors’ bowels are stimulated. Cardio exercises, like swimming or dancing, help older people avoid constipation. Certain yoga poses, like those that require twisting the torso, massage the digestive tract and help stool pass through the intestines.
Tip 4: Make Behavioral Changes
Seniors with constipation should try scheduling toileting 20 to 40 minutes after mealtimes. Training the body can help it have regular bowel movements. After several weeks of bowel retraining, the older adult should have regular bowel movements around the same time each day.
Other behavioral modifications that can stimulate bowel movements include placing a stool under the feet when toileting and avoiding bedpans. Seniors should also ensure they have adequate privacy and time to attempt to pass their bowels. An enema, a fluid injected through the rectum, can help, too.
Tip 5: Take Medications
Medications available over the counter, like bulking agents, can increase a senior’s urge to have a bowel movement. They include fiber supplements, like methylcellulose powder, polycarbophil, and the aforementioned psyllium fiber, such as Metamucil. Stools are softened with osmotic laxatives.
Seniors might also try stool softeners, which make stools easier to pass. One type of stool softener older adults can look for at their pharmacy is Colace (or docusate sodium capsules). Stimulant laxatives are additional options and work by triggering contractions in the intestine to help move stool.
Constipation in seniors is easily treatable with the above home remedies. If your aging loved one needs help preparing fiber-rich meals, toileting, or taking medications for constipation, the dedicated caregivers at Assisting Hands Home Care can provide invaluable in-home support.
Our reputable home care agency prioritizes the physical, emotional, and social well-being of the older adults we serve. We offer a comprehensive range of non-medical elder care services to meet their care needs and help them stay independent in the comfort of home.
Responsibilities our caregivers undertake include respectful assistance with personal hygiene tasks, like bathing, toileting, and dressing. We prepare healthy meals and shop for fresh groceries. Caregivers schedule exercise into the senior’s day to promote physical health. We’re also great companions.
If your aging loved one needs transportation to the pharmacy or doctor’s office, we provide both transportation and escort. Care options are flexible and customizable. We’re available for respite care, live-in care, and 24-hour care. We provide compassionate memory care and overnight care, too.
Quality senior home care from Assisting Hands Home Care is available to elderly individuals living in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the nearby areas. Schedule your complimentary in-home consultation and learn how elder care can enhance your loved one’s daily life.
Schedule a free in-home consult today at (725) 696-9942 and learn how senior care can elevate their quality of life.
