Take a history and perform necessary assessments to determine the most likely cause of Mrs Browning’s constipation and incontinence.
Click on the questions below to see Mrs Browning's response.
Well, I guess my evening meals are pretty standard - meat, potatoes and some vegetables. At present I have porridge or fruit toast for breakfast and soup for lunch.
Oh, I have a real sweet tooth and love and good piece of cake or a few cookies with my cup of tea or a bit of chocolate of an evening. I sometimes have cheese with crackers in the afternoons.
A diet low in fibre and high in fat can contribute to constipation.
Not at restaurants, no, but I regularly have dinner with my neighbour June, who is also a widow, and I go to one of my children’s homes for lunch every Sunday. It’s a lovely family time.
Yes, I’m pleased to say that I do. Sometimes, though, if I’ve been out and about during the day, I will defrost one of the home-cooked dinners that the kids drop off for me.
Well, perhaps not as much as I should. In winter, perhaps only one glass with lunch and one glass with dinner. I get more thirsty when I swim, so I might drink a couple of extra glasses those days.
Inadequate fluid intake can cause dehydration and subsequent constipation.
I have a cup of black tea before breakfast and with my afternoon tea. I have coffee with breakfast and apart from that, I drink herbal tea for the rest of the day and the occasional hot chocolate at night.
Overuse of caffeine, which is a diuretic, can cause dehydration and subsequent constipation.