Food is fuel. Food is fun. Food is rewarding. Food is pleasurable. But, food can also be deadly. Foodborne pathogens can hide in the most delicious tasting and beautifully presented food. They can’t always be smelled or seen. And for your elderly loved one, that can put her at risk. A senior home care provider can oversee your loved one’s handling of foods, before and after a meal.
Food Poisoning is More Dangerous for the Elderly
Those who are over 65 are more likely to need hospitalization if they become ill from a foodborne pathogen. There are several reasons why your loved one may need hospitalization if she becomes sick from food poisoning.
Four Reasons Food Poisoning is Worse for the Elderly
- The gastrointestinal tract changes as a person ages and slows down. Anything going through that area may take longer to get through and cause more damage, including foodborne pathogens.
- Other chronic conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease can weaken the body’s ability to fight off the bacteria introduced to the body from contaminated food.
- The liver and kidneys don’t function as well as when younger, making it more difficult for them to get rid of foreign toxins.
- If your loved one has a weakened immune system, his body may not be able to properly protect itself from food poisoning.
Protect Your Loved One’s Health By Stopping These Practices
If your loved one lives on his own, he might need the help of a senior home care provider to help him learn new habits when it comes to food safety. A lot has been learned about food safety in the last few decades and many practices from when your loved one was younger are no longer considered safe. Even if your loved one has never gotten sick by doing any of these practices, it doesn’t mean that he won’t eventually develop a foodborne illness from them.
The adage “better safe than sorry” applies to these five practices to STOP doing right now.
Thawing food on the counter. One of the keys to avoiding this practice is planning ahead what your loved one is going to eat. Most meat requires at least 24 hours to thaw in the fridge so your loved one needs to know tonight what he wants for dinner tomorrow night. A senior home care provider can help him plan out his meals for the week so that he’s never left trying to thaw something at the last minute.
Forgetting to wash his hands before, during, and after food prep. Your loved one should thoroughly wash his hands after each item is prepared.
Constantly reheating food. If your loved one has a large casserole, have his senior home care provider help him break the leftovers into individual serving dishes for later. That way, he’s only reheating what he’s going to eat once.
Keeping cooked food at room temperature. Leaving that pizza to sit in the box for 2 days on the counter so he can grab a slice now and again is risking food poisoning. Put food away within 2 hours of eating it.
Letting food cool on the table. Immediately refrigerate or freeze food (even if it’s warm) after eating to prevent bacteria from growing.
Stopping these practices will help reduce the risk of a foodborne pathogen entering your loved one’s system.
Source: https://www.foodsafety.gov/people-at-risk/older-adults#:~:text=Adults%20aged%2065%20and%20older,response%20to%20disease%20grows%20weaker.