| Abstract: | To improve the quality of long-term care institutions is an important issue of developing long-term care in the future. Constipation, a recurring problem of residents in the institutions, is cause by medication, ageing, and changing of life style. The prevalence of constipation of the residents is estimated to be 50%~80%; therefore, the problems of treating constipation become an essential subject of the quality of care. Laxatives or enemas are usually used for constipation; however, long-term use of laxatives or enemas results in intestinal dysfunction, and consequently affects the sufferer’s quality of living. The aims of this study are to realize the prevalence and strategy of constipation of the residents and to evaluate the treemella therapy’s impact on the sufferers’ defecation.
To compare the condition of constipation of the residents before and after the intervention of the treemella food therapy, I’ve recruited thirty residents in an infirmary care center for senior citizens in Taichung, Taiwan as the subject of this study. Adding extra refreshment made of treemella to their diets, we’ve observed, in a course of 11 days, their daily defecation before, during, and after the intervention of the treemella food therapy and other relevant factors, including the times and the intensity of bowel action, the quantity of using peristaltic and laxatives, the use of enemas, and the demography information of the inhabitants.
The consequences have shown that the intervention of the food therapy made of treemella had an instant influence on the times and the intensity of bowel action and had an effect on reducing the amount of medication. These results last for 3 days, which achieve statistically significance.
The model of treating constipation with medication is quick and convenient; nonetheless, the side effects of using improper or un- necessary medication and the feeling of having enemas is a kind of inhumane treatment. Treemella may decrease the usage of medication during the constipation care, and avoid harming the residents’ health. Improving the caring model of constipation of the residents can not only raise the long-term care quality but also improve the residents’ quality of living.
I suggest that we develop, based on residents-centered views, varying standards of living care guidelines and quality indicators of long- term care, which could be followed by the caregiver. Our results have indicated the improvement of the residents’ defecation. I recommend that treemella be added to the diets of the inhabitants, which can be done as the following instructions: one meal for every three days, 300gm per time. This study is limited because of the sample collected; nevertheless, it could be of reference to the future research with a larger-scale of research, for developing the guidelines and indicators of quality of long-term care. |
