Food Safety for Seniors
Our Rhode Island Caregivers enable seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.
Seniors should know about food safety. A foodborne illness can severely affect seniors. Since many seniors have a weak immune system, food safety is very important. The following list contains facts and tips for seniors on food safety issues. It is important to take all possible precautions to avoid becoming ill due to a food problem.
1. Older individuals, newborns and pregnant women are more susceptible to foodborne illnesses. This is because they usually have a weaker immune system than a healthy young adult. People in these groups need to be very careful of the foods they ingest.
2. To protect yourself from becoming ill from a food, make sure that all food is stored properly.
3. When cooking food, make sure that the food has reached the proper temperature. This can be done by inserting a thermometer into the food as it is being prepared. This is very important when cooking meat and poultry.
4. When preparing food, be sure to wash your hands often. This will help prevent cross-contamination. This is important when coming in contact with raw fish, meat and poultry.
5. Some foods are more prone to carrying bacteria. This is common in chicken and some red meat. Try to avoid preparing or eating these foods, especially if they are undercooked.
Source: eatright.org
Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.
