The Big Picture
Defecation means passing feces from the rectum through the anus. It is another term for having a bowel movement.
Many things affect how often a person has a bowel movement and what the stool is like. Privacy, food, fluids, activity, medications, age, personal habits, and some disabilities all play a part. Safe support during defecation also includes privacy, enough time, safe positioning, hygiene, and following the care plan.
Look for Nova Scotia CCA Notes throughout this page for current provincial guidance.
Quick tip: Tap, click, or press Enter on any term with a dotted underline and an ⓘ icon to see its plain-English definition.
Start Here If You’re Overwhelmed
Focus on these core ideas:
- Defecation is the process of passing feces from the rectum through the anus.
- Privacy matters. A person who ignores the urge to defecate because other people are present might develop constipation.
- Diet and fluids affect bowel movements and stool consistency. Activity can stimulate peristalsis, while inactivity can contribute to irregular elimination and constipation.
- Aging often slows the movement of feces through the intestines, but loss of bowel control is not a normal result of aging.
- Safe support includes prompt toileting help, privacy, safe positioning, enough time, handwashing, and Standard Practices.
- For fecal incontinence, follow the care plan for when to assist with elimination.
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Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know
What Is Defecation?
Defecation is the process of passing feces from the rectum through the anus. It means having a bowel movement.
Feces are the semi-solid waste products found in the colon.
Normal defecation is gauged by four features:
- frequency
- consistency
- colour
- odour
Many factors affect these features.
Privacy
Defecation is a private activity. Some people avoid having a bowel movement when other people are nearby, even when they feel the urge.
Ignoring the urge because of poor privacy might lead to constipation. Constipation means bowel movements happen less often than usual, and the stool is hard, dry, and difficult to pass.
Odour from a bowel movement might also cause embarrassment.
Personal Habits
People often develop their own bowel routines.
Some clients regularly have a bowel movement after breakfast. Food in the stomach sometimes stimulates the bowels to move.
Relaxing activities also help some people. Examples include:
- drinking a hot beverage
- reading a book or newspaper
- taking a walk
These habits might make defecation easier.
Diet
A well-balanced diet and enough bulk help promote regular bowel movements.
High-fibre foods leave residue that provides bulk. Examples include:
- fruits
- vegetables
- whole grain cereals
- whole grain breads
Some people do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. Some avoid them because they think they will not digest them. Adults without teeth or with poorly fitting dentures might also have trouble chewing certain foods.
Bran, prunes, and juices help prevent constipation.
Foods do not affect every person in the same way. Milk, for example, causes constipation in some people and diarrhea in others. Chocolate produces similar differences.
Diarrhea means frequent passage of liquid stools.
Spicy foods irritate the intestines in some people, leading to frequent stools or diarrhea.
Gas-forming foods stimulate peristalsis. Increased peristalsis results in defecation. Examples include:
- onions
- beans
- cabbage
- cauliflower
- radishes
- cucumber
Some people avoid these foods because they experience stomach ache or bloating.
Fluids and Stool Consistency
The amount of water absorbed in the colon affects stool consistency.
Several things affect stool consistency:
- fluid intake
- urine output
- vomiting
- the amount of water absorbed by the colon
When the colon absorbs large amounts of water because of dehydration or poor fluid intake, feces become hard and dry. Hard, dry feces move through the intestines more slowly and result in constipation.
Number to remember: Drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water every day promotes regular bowel movement.
Warm fluids increase peristalsis. Examples include:
- coffee
- tea
- hot cider
- warm water
Activity
Exercise and activity maintain overall muscle tone, which can stimulate peristalsis.
Inactivity and bed rest often lead to irregular elimination and constipation. Disease, surgery, or injury sometimes leads to bed rest.
The care plan lists comfort and safety measures for the client’s elimination needs.
Medications
Medications affect bowel movements in different ways.
Some medications prevent constipation or control diarrhea. Other medications produce loose stools, diarrhea, or constipation as adverse effects.
Two medication groups are important to recognize:
- Medications used for pain relief often cause constipation.
- Antibiotics often cause loose stools or diarrhea.
Antibiotics are used to fight or prevent infection. Diarrhea occurs when antibiotics kill normal flora in the large intestine. Normal flora are bacteria that are always present there.
Aging
As people age, feces tend to move through the intestines more slowly. This slower movement results in constipation.
Older people who remain active and eat a well-balanced diet do not always experience constipation.
Key fact: Loss of bowel control is not a normal consequence of aging.
Some older people do not completely empty the rectum during the first bowel movement. They need to defecate again 30 to 45 minutes later.
Disability and Bowel Control
Some clients with disabilities do not control their bowel movements. They defecate whenever feces enter the rectum.
These clients need a bowel training program. The goal is to have a bowel movement at the same time each day.
Promoting Comfort and Safety During Defecation
The following actions support comfort and safety during defecation.
- Assist the client to the toilet or commode , or provide a bedpan, as soon as the client requests it.
- To support privacy, assist the client to the bathroom. If possible, wheel the client into the bathroom on the commode and position the commode over the toilet.
- Be cautious when transporting a client on a commode. Commodes normally have small wheels that make uneven surfaces difficult to move across. They may also lack safety belts that prevent the client from tipping forward.
- Watch positioning around the commode seat and toilet bowl. Smaller clients and clients with male genitalia who have a pendulous scrotum are at risk of having the buttocks or scrotum rubbed or pinched between the seat and toilet bowl.
- Provide privacy. Ask visitors or family members to leave. Close the door, privacy curtains, window curtains, blinds, or shades.
- Make sure the bedpan is warm.
- Position the client in the normal sitting position.
- Cover the client for warmth and privacy.
- Give the client enough time to defecate. Do not rush.
- Place toilet tissue within reach. In facilities, place the call bell within reach too.
- Stay nearby if the client is weak or unsteady.
- Leave the room if the client can be left alone. Stay within hearing distance.
- Provide perineal care.
- Dispose of stools promptly. This reduces odour and helps prevent the spread of microbes.
- Assist the client with handwashing after elimination.
- If the client has fecal incontinence, follow the care plan. The care plan tells you when to assist with elimination.
- Follow Standard Practices.
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker, 5th Edition uses the term “Standard Practices.” Current Nova Scotia CCA education uses the term routine practices . The current practicum guide also expects learners to demonstrate proper hand hygiene and safe handling of biohazardous materials such as urine, feces, and vomit. (novascotiacca.ca)
This is a terminology difference worth recognizing when you study. Current Nova Scotia CCA materials use “routine practices,” while Sorrentino uses “Standard Practices.”
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: You might see “routine practices” in current CCA education even though Sorrentino uses different wording.
Official source: CCA Curriculum 2025 – Practicum Guide
Last checked: September 23, 2026
Understanding Fecal Incontinence
Fecal incontinence means a person is unable to control the passage of feces and gas through the anus. It is also called anal incontinence.
For a client with fecal incontinence, the care plan directs when the CCA assists with elimination.
Exam Clue Words
- As soon as: Provide the toilet, commode, or bedpan promptly when the client requests it.
- If: Stay nearby if the client is weak or unsteady. If the client can be left alone, leave the room and stay within hearing distance.
- Do not rush: Give the client enough time for defecation.
- Follow the care plan: For fecal incontinence, the care plan tells you when to assist with elimination.
Common Mix-Ups
| Wrong Idea | Better Idea |
|---|---|
| Loss of bowel control is a normal part of aging. | Loss of bowel control is not a normal consequence of aging. |
| Every older person develops constipation. | Active older people who eat a well-balanced diet do not always experience constipation. |
Fast Review
Bowel movements depend on several connected factors. Focus on what affects elimination and what keeps defecation safe, private, and comfortable.
- Defecation means passing feces from the rectum through the anus.
- Privacy affects bowel habits. Ignoring the urge to defecate because others are present might lead to constipation.
- High-fibre foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide bulk that supports regular bowel movements.
- Poor fluid intake and dehydration lead to hard, dry feces that move more slowly through the intestines.
- Drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water every day promotes regular bowel movement.
- Activity stimulates peristalsis, while inactivity and bed rest often contribute to irregular elimination and constipation.
- Pain-relief medications often cause constipation. Antibiotics often cause loose stools or diarrhea.
- Aging tends to slow the movement of feces through the intestines, but loss of bowel control is not a normal result of aging.
- Some older people need another bowel movement 30 to 45 minutes after the first because the rectum did not empty completely.
- During defecation, protect privacy, use safe positioning, allow enough time, keep needed items within reach, assist with hygiene, and follow Standard Practices.
- Stay nearby when a client is weak or unsteady. When a client is safe alone, leave the room and stay within hearing distance.
- For fecal incontinence, follow the care plan for when to assist with elimination.
Final Pep Talk
This topic has two big pieces to keep straight: what affects bowel movements and how to support safe defecation. Review those two groups separately, then go back for the numbers, conditions, and safety details that need extra practice.