Mom is constipated, she has become impacted and it is painful. Any advice?

Digital evacuation, which around here with my bedridden husband, we call an “archeological dig”, isn’t a solution, it’s gross and can cause an infection if you accidentally scratch her. You DO wear gloves, right? I know that being immobile affects my husband too. But, peristalsis propels the stool through the intestines and if that’s working, she shouldn’t need to strain and push that much.

If she is truly impacted, she needs to see her doctor. A simple ultrasound can determine if she is and the doctor can prescribe treatment for her. To prevent future issues, go over her diet with the doctor. She may need more fiber, less carbohydrates, more fluids.

You need to loosen things up so the need to push is minimized. Adding things like prunes and fiber to the diet and ensuring good hydration is always the first place to start. My #1 recommendation is miralax, which worked wonderfully for us for a very long time. The heavy duty response would be glycerine and then bisacodyl suppositories, the final line of defence are fleet enemas. I would advise against manual removal because it is both painful and potentially dangerous. My constantly constipated mother was kept regular in the nursing home with lactulose, which ironically was the one laxative I never tried at home.