Subjective data related to altered bowel elimination patterns among hospitalized elder and middle-aged persons.

This exploratory study reports subjective data about bowel elimination pattern(s) (BEP) for elders admitted to an acute care hospital. This sample of a population from northern New England (n = 303) was collected from a small rural hospital and a large university hospital. A comparison group of 149 middle-aged subjects (40 to 64 years) was used to highlight responses of the elders (> or = 65 years). Data were collected through interviews and questionnaires and analyzed via content analysis. More than twice as many elders as middle-aged subjects reported a regular bowel habit as important to health. Significant changes in BEP were found to occur in both hospitalized elders and middle-aged subjects. Nurses need to pay careful attention to the BEP of these patients. Nurses should actively investigate BEP of subjects with increased risk and intervene with patient education or appropriate therapy as needed.