The Big Picture
A bowel movement removes waste from the body. Before this happens, partly digested food and fluids move from the stomach through the intestines. Fluid is absorbed, and the remaining waste becomes more solid.
People do not all have bowel movements at the same time or with the same frequency. Knowing a client’s usual bowel routine helps you follow that routine whenever possible. Careful stool observations are important for the care-planning process.
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:
- Feces are the semi-solid waste products found in the colon.
- Defecation means passing feces from the rectum through the anus. It is another name for a bowel movement.
- Normal bowel frequency differs from person to person.
- Normal stool is usually brown, soft, formed, and moist.
- Observe stool colour, amount, consistency, odour, shape, and size.
- Record the client’s bowel movements accurately and follow the client’s regular bowel routine whenever possible.
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Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know
How Waste Becomes Stool
Food and fluids that have been partly digested in the stomach are called chyme.
Chyme moves from the stomach into the small intestine and then into the large intestine. The large intestine is also called the large bowel or colon.
The colon absorbs fluid from the chyme. As this happens, the material becomes more solid.
Once the semi-solid waste reaches the colon, it is called feces.
How Feces Move Through the Intestine
Feces move through the intestine by peristalsis. This process involves alternating contraction and relaxation of the intestinal muscles.
The feces move through the colon to the rectum. The rectum stores them until they leave the body.
Defecation is the process of passing feces from the rectum through the anus . It is also called a bowel movement or BM.
Stool means feces after they have been excreted from the body.
Normal Bowel Movement Frequency
There is no single bowel movement schedule that applies to everyone.
On average, people may have a bowel movement:
- every day
- every 2 to 3 days
- two or three times in one day
People also have bowel movements at different times. One person might usually go after breakfast, while another might usually go in the evening.
Some older people expect a bowel movement every day and become concerned when their routine changes. Reassurance from members of the care team can help reduce this anxiety.
Normal Stool Colour
Normal stool is brown. Bile produced by the liver gives stool its normal brown colour and plays an important part in digestion.
Stool colour can change for several reasons.
- Some iron-replacement medications can make stool look black or tarry.
- Bleeding in the stomach, small intestine, or both can also cause black or tarry stool.
Tarry stool is black, unformed, and sticky, similar to tar.
- Bleeding in the lower colon or rectum can make stool appear red.
- Eating beets can also make stool appear red.
- Eating a large amount of green vegetables can produce green stool.
- Various diseases and infections can produce clay-coloured, white, pale brown, orange, or green stool.
Melena means dark, tarry stools containing decomposing blood.
Normal Stool Consistency, Shape, and Odour
Normal stools are usually:
- soft
- formed
- moist
- shaped like the rectum
Stool has a characteristic odour because of bacterial action in the intestines. Normal flora bacteria are necessary for stool to form.
Certain foods, including eggs, onions, and garlic, can affect stool odour. Some medications, including some multivitamins, can also make stool smell foul.
The Bristol Stool Form Scale
The Bristol Stool Form Scale describes seven stool types.
| Type | Stool Form |
|---|---|
| Type 1 | Separate hard lumps that are difficult to pass |
| Type 2 | Sausage-shaped but lumpy |
| Type 3 | Sausage-shaped with cracks on the surface |
| Type 4 | Smooth, soft, and shaped like a sausage or snake |
| Type 5 | Soft blobs with clear edges that pass easily |
| Type 6 | Fluffy, mushy pieces with ragged edges |
| Type 7 | Watery and completely liquid, with no solid pieces |
Know the Client’s Regular Bowel Routine
Whether you work in the community or in a facility, know the client’s usual bowel routine.
Follow that routine whenever possible.
For example, if the client prefers to use the commode chair for a bowel movement, help the client use it.
Record Bowel Movements Accurately
CCA action: Whether you work in the community or in a facility, accurately record the client’s bowel movements during your shift.
These records give the care team information they use when deciding whether changes to diet or medications are needed.
The support worker records and observes. The care team decides whether adjustments are necessary.
What to Observe in Stool
Careful stool observations contribute to the care-planning process .
Observe:
- colour
- amount
- consistency
- odour
- shape
- size
What to Do When You Notice Abnormal Stool
If you work in a facility and observe abnormal stool, ask a nurse to observe the bowel movement.
Also report:
- abnormalities in bowel movement frequency
- client complaints of pain
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker, 5th Edition tells you to observe stool and report certain bowel changes. In Nova Scotia, the current Occupational Standards of Practice describe CCA observations as point-of-care observational assessments. A CCA uses these observations to recognize changes that need to be escalated to a supervisor.
This is not a nursing assessment. A CCA does not complete the comprehensive evaluation used to analyze information and make care-planning decisions. Nova Scotia CCAs follow specified escalation and reporting directions, the care plan, and employer documentation guidelines. (novascotiacca.ca)
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: When you notice an abnormal bowel movement or another change, your role is to observe, follow the documented reporting directions, and escalate the change rather than independently making a clinical assessment.
Official source: Continuing Care Assistant Occupational Standards of Practice
Last checked: September 22, 2026
Exam Clue Words
- Whenever possible: Follow the client’s regular bowel routine when it is possible to do so.
- If you work in a facility: Ask a nurse to observe an abnormal bowel movement. This direction is tied specifically to the facility setting.
- Report: Report abnormalities in bowel movement frequency and client complaints of pain.
Fast Review
Use these points for a quick review before your quiz or exam.
- Chyme is partly digested food and fluid that moves from the stomach into the intestines.
- In the colon, fluid is absorbed and the waste becomes more solid.
- Feces are the semi-solid waste products in the colon.
- Defecation means passing feces from the rectum through the anus.
- Stool means feces after they leave the body.
- Peristalsis moves feces through the intestine by alternating muscle contraction and relaxation.
- Bowel movement frequency differs between people. A person might go daily, every 2 to 3 days, or two or three times in one day.
- Normal stool is usually brown, soft, formed, and moist.
- The Bristol Stool Form Scale includes Types 1 through 7, from separate hard lumps to entirely liquid stool.
- Observe stool colour, amount, consistency, odour, shape, and size.
- Record bowel movements accurately and follow the client’s regular routine whenever possible.
- In a facility, ask a nurse to observe abnormal stool. Report abnormal bowel movement frequency and client complaints of pain.
Final Pep Talk
There are several details here, especially stool types, normal variations, and observation points. Review them in small groups, then use the Fast Review to bring the main ideas together.