Constipation is a symptom, not a disease. It is defined as having fewer bowel movements than usual, with a long or hard passing of stools.
Older people are more likely than younger people to have constipation.
But experts agree that older people often worry too much about having a bowel movement every day. There is no right number of daily or weekly bowel movements. Questions to Ask Some doctors suggest asking these questions to decide if you are really constipated. If the answers are yes, you probably do have a problem. Otherwise, you probably do not.