Older people and laxative use: comparison between community and long-term care settings

Constipation is a common problem affecting many older people's quality of life. The aim of the study was to describe and compare the frequency of use of laxative medication in Irish adults, aged 65 years and older, from the community and a long-term care setting. Participants (n=207) were part of the Irish ELDERMET project. The project aims to find out how diet and lifestyle influence, and are influenced by, the bacteria in the gut, and how this knowledge can be used to promote health in older Irish people. It has recruited over 450 people, aged 65 and older, and will use the information gathered from the extensive proforma to develop recommendations, as well as functional foods/functional food ingredients specifically designed to promote and support health in older populations. Data were collected between June 2008 and April 2010 using a survey questionnaire. A quantitative descriptive correlational design was used. Analysis was conducted using PASW Statistics 18.0. Participants in long-term care received a greater number of both laxatives and prescribed medications than community-dwelling participants. Increased polypharmacy was also seen in participants taking laxatives, with participants in long-term care significantly (p<0.001) more likely to take multiple laxatives. Nurses are in a key position to develop proactive approaches to the prevention and treatment of constipation.