ARTICLES / General /Careful
in the Kitchen /
Other ArticlesBy Jennifer Bradley, Staff Writer
The best place to be as a child was in Grandma’s
kitchen, especially when she’s taking a fresh tray of
cookies out of the oven. Sneaking a bite of cookie
dough was a must for any youngster. Grandma may have
thought nothing of it then, but today, the risks of
eating raw eggs are well known. For seniors, these
stakes are even higher. A caregiver may be today’s
gateway to good health for their loved one, starting at
the basic knowledge of food safety.
My, how times have changed
It’s safe to say that the way the world “goes round” in
2010 is much more advanced than it was 10 years ago, at
the turn of the century. A decade can make a big
difference. In 2000, the Internet was just taking shape.
Today, it’s a necessity for almost all people’s daily
lives. So, if a decade can change things, what about
four, or five, even more? Some loved ones may be
reaching into their 80s or 90s, and in the 1950s or 60s,
when they were raising their families, doing most of
their own baking and cooking, life was a lot different.
The way food is produced, harvested, distributed and
prepared has evolved hand-in-hand with technology.
Scientific advances have shown that new and dangerous
bacteria and viruses can be found in foods; these
microorganisms were not even known years ago. Food
modification, mass production and mass distribution have
led people away from homegrown, fresh vegetables and
meat, leading almost all to rely on others, even those
long distances away, to provide for their daily
nutritional needs.
Science has identified illnesses that can come from
food, as well as ways people in the later years of life
are more susceptible to contracting foodborne health
issues. A caregiver has the responsibility to know and
respect the way a loved one used to live, while teaching
and helping them understand the way they must live to be
healthy today.
Special Risks for Seniors
Foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning, can be
serious, even fatal. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, every year 76 million
people fall ill, 325,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die
from food-related infections and illness in the United
States. Many of these victims are very young, very old,
or have weakened immune systems, unable to fight
infection normally.
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