Abstract: Constipation has become a common clinical symptom in the elderly. Many factors can result in constipation, including diet,physiological aging, lack of exercise, inappropriate medication, psychological factors, perianal disease, and so on. If the individualized, targetedand comprehensive care interventions that consist of health education, psychological intervention, dietary intervention, medicationguide, functional exercise, passive attention to bowel training and abdominal massage etc. are done well, it can decrease the incidence ofconstipation, reduce a variety of complications and adverse effects caused by the constipation and improve the quality of life in the elderly.So it has important clinical significance.

Key words: the elderly, constipation, cause analysis, nursing intervention, review