Final answer:
The community health nurse should recommend increased fluid and fiber intake for the older adult patient with severe hemorrhoids. This non-pharmacological approach softens stools and reduces straining, helping to alleviate hemorrhoid symptoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
For an older adult patient experiencing increasing severity of hemorrhoids, the community health nurse should recommend increased fluid and fiber intake. This approach helps to soften stool and reduce straining during bowel movements, which can prevent the worsening of hemorrhoids. While antibiotic ointments are used for bacterial infections and glycerin suppositories may help with constipation, they are not direct treatments for hemorrhoids. Moreover, the use of NSAIDs to reduce inflammation may be appropriate in some cases, but NSAIDs can also pose risks, especially for older adults, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, and do not address the underlying issue of hard stools.
Increased fluid and fiber intake is a safe, non-pharmacological approach that aligns with general digestive health recommendations and can alleviate the symptoms associated with hemorrhoids. It's important to note that severe or persistent cases should be evaluated by a healthcare provider for the consideration of other treatments, which may include topical creams specifically designed for hemorrhoid relief, or medical procedures in cases that do not respond to conservative management.