Multidisciplinary co-development of a chronic constipation management education programme for older people with dementia and the establishment of a model facility

Chronic constipation (CC) is prevalent among the elderly population and particularly those with dementia. Associate Professor Tomoyoshi Naito, School of Nursing, Seirei Christopher University, Japan, is exploring supportive care of elderly patients with dementia. He is working with collaborators to develop a multidisciplinary CC management education programme for healthcare professionals involved with elderly patients suffering from dementia. The researchers will also build a model facility to implement and verify the impact of the programme. Part of this research concerns gaining a more in-depth understanding of management and care techniques, based on the Japanese Chronic Constipation Treatment Guidelines from 2017, especially in relation to the diet and differentiation of chronic functional constipation. The goal is to reduce the number of painful medical procedures by enhancing therapy, exercise therapy, lifestyle guidance and making it possible to select step-by-step drug therapy. The programme will be executed at two facilities in Japan, targeting specialist caregivers who work with elderly patients with dementia, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. They will receive basic education on chronic constipation in elderly people with dementia, as well as practical training on the management of CC in addition to self-training and evaluations based on case studies. In a randomised controlled trial, Naito sought to verify the impact of bowel training as a treatment for CC and found that, together with the training, encouraging patients to use appropriate defecation posture significantly improved the condition. This was associated with a corresponding improvement in the mental health and wellbeing of patients and caregivers.