Bowel Elimination Guidelines

Bowel Elimination Guidelines 

Goal 
To promote resident health and comfort through proper bowel functioning. 

Policy 
Bowel elimination patterns will be monitored every shift, and timely intervention will be provided as needed to ensure resident health and comfort. 

Procedure 

1. Admission Information: 

• Obtain information about the resident’s elimination pattern from the resident and/or family upon admission. 

2. Doctor’s Orders: 

• Obtain doctor’s orders as needed for a bowel regimen tailored to meet the resident’s individual needs. 

3. Monitoring and Intervention: 

• Monitor bowel elimination patterns every shift, taking into consideration the resident’s individual elimination pattern. 

• If after three (3) days there is no bowel movement or an inadequate amount of bowel elimination, initiate a laxative regimen per MD orders. 

4. Follow-Up: 

• If there are no results, inadequate results, or other bowel complaints, notify the MD and follow any recommendations provided. 

5. Documentation: 

• Document the response to treatment and any interventions in the resident’s medical record. 

• Ensure thorough documentation of the resident’s bowel elimination pattern, any administered treatments, and the resident’s response to those treatments. 

References: 

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), State Operations Manual (SOM) 

• Requirements of Participation for Nursing Homes, CMS 

• Best Practices for Bowel Management in Long-Term Care Facilities, American Medical Directors Association (AMDA)