Measures adopted to overcome constipation by residents of elderly homes

Constipation is a common problem encountered by elderly persons. This study aimed to determine measures adopted to overcome constipation by residents of elderly homes in Alexandria. The study was carried out in all governmental elderly homes in Alexandria. All elders aged 60 years and more and able to communicate were included in the study. Their number amounted to 178 elderly persons. The results revealed that nearly half of the residents suffered from constipation. The main factors affecting its occurrence were that amount of fluid consumed daily, fibre intake in diet, activity pattern of the elderly, gastrointestinal diseases and type of drug intake. It can be concluded from the study that constipation is a problem and is not considered as a normal part of the aging process

Impact of reminiscence therapy on self- esteem of residents of elderly homes

Reminiscence is the ability to recall long forgotten facts, people, events and feelings. The study aims to identify the impact of reminiscence therapy on self-esteem of residents of elderly homes in Alexandria. The study was carried out in all governmental homes for elderly persons in Alexandria. The sample comprised 55 elderly persons. They were interviewed individually to collect the necessary information using the questionnaire sheet. Reminiscence therapy was implemented on eight sessions using either the individual or the group method. During the different sessions, elderly persons reviewed their life stages starting from childhood to adulthood and made conclusion about their life. Self-esteem was measured immediately after the eight sessions and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months to determine the long-term effect of the therapy. Reminiscence sessions succeeded in improving elders' self-esteem and in decreasing elders' physical complaints such as insomnia, headache, anorexia...etc

Measuring compliance using self-report and pill count methods

In this study, two methods [self-report and pill-count methods] were used to assess medication compliance among 55 elderly persons residing elderly homes in Alexandria. In the self-report method, the client was asked specific questions to denote his compliance. In the pill count method, each elderly person was visited daily to count the left over pills. The main results revealed that all institutionalized elderly persons were non-complying with their prescribed drug regimen using either the self-report or pill-count methods. The study also revealed a significant agreement between the two methods