Constipation in the elderly is a common condition that is not a discreet disease entity, but a constellation of symptoms that has multiple possible causes. It refers to passing stools less than three times a week, but might include other symptoms, such as lack of total evacua-tion, straining or excessive stool hardness. Patients often disagree on exactly what is meant by “constipa-tion”. Constipation is more prevalent in older adults, occurring in half of community-dwelling elderly, and three-quarters of institutionalized elderly. In these individuals, constipation can have multiple causes including lack of adequate fiber and hydration, illness, and medication.Constipation can be classified as “slow transit”, implying an increased time of fecal material traversing the colon; “dyssynergic”, referring to a disor-der of evacuation of the rectum; or “functional”, sug-gesting a failure to find an anatomical or physiological cause.