2 hours
Trainer: Kelly Sturgeon
A healthy GI tract (gastrointestinal) is essential to maintaining overall health and wellbeing. Problems with the GI tract can include many different conditions that caregivers need to understand well. Caregiver understanding of how the GI tract works, symptoms of illness, and daily approach to care for a healthy GI tract can make a significant impact on our resident population.
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a continuous muscular tube measuring about 30 feet long (9 meters) that runs from the mouth to the anus, including the stomach, small and large intestines, and is responsible for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste.
Major Organs of the GI Tract
- Mouth: Chewing physically breaks down food, while saliva starts chemical digestion with enzymes.
- Esophagus: A muscular pipe that pushes food down to the stomach using wavelike muscle movements called peristalsis.
- Stomach: A muscular sac that mixes food with strong acids and digestive juices to turn it into a liquid mixture called chyme.
- Small Intestine: A long, coiled tube where most chemical digestion and nutrient absorption happen.
- Large Intestine (Colon): Absorbs remaining water and turns leftover waste into stool.
- Rectum and Anus: Stores waste until it exits the body.
Please watch this video about how the GI tract works to break down, absorb and eliminate food:
Review question: What is the name of the substance that the stomach creates after about 3 hours of digestion? Answer: Chyme
How can we help our residents with wellbeing related to their GI tract?
The best approach to a healthy gastrointestinal (GI) system for older adults includes a focus on fruits and vegetables with all meals daily, probiotics like yogurt and kefir, consistent hydration, regular physical activity, and careful management of medications.
As people age, they can experience changes in their taste buds that affect their enjoyment of food. Many also experience changes in their dental health that require foods to be soft. Creating a meal plan that requires soft foods poses some challenges that we can overcome like pros! Requirements for soft food texture definitely affect how much fiber a resident eats because high fiber foods like raw vegetables can be difficult to chew and swallow. If we supercharge our creativity, our residents can still get enough fiber to support their GI tract.
Soft fruits like stewed prunes and peaches can be added to smoothies. Beans are an easy and nutrition packed source of fiber that can be added to soups and pasta dishes. Oatmeal doesn’t have to be boring — make a parfait layered with yogurt and fruit. Stir in some baby spinach before serving chicken noodle soup or layer it into a casserole.
Key Strategies for Senior Gut Health
- Fuel with Fiber: include plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains in the meal plan to prevent constipation and feed good gut bacteria.
- Prioritize Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to help fiber move waste smoothly through the digestive tract. Add moisture to foods such as yogurt, broths, smoothies. Offer and assist with fluids throughout the day — every sip counts!
- Stay Active: Engage in regular physical movement, such as daily walks, to stimulate the muscles of the GI tract and prevent constipation. Or, gentle stretching followed by balloon volleyball for residents who need chair exercises.
- Review Medications: Talk to a doctor about current prescriptions, as common medications for blood pressure, pain, or joint issues can cause constipation or stomach irritation.
- Support the Microbiome: Include probiotic-rich foods like yogurt or kefir, or discuss targeted probiotic supplements with a healthcare provider.
- Schedule Screenings: Keep up with routine preventive care, including recommended colorectal cancer screenings.
- Report symptoms of serious GI tract problems: acid reflux can cause vomiting after eating and difficulty swallowing when eating; constipation that is more than occasional should have a plan of care and physician attention; need to be reported. Other signs of illness that should be communicated to the primary care physician: loose stools that are chronic; vomiting, dark stools or blood in stool, disinterest in meals, dark urine, drooling during or after a meal.