Food poisoning is a type of illness caused by eating contaminated food. Symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and chills. In more severe cases, food poisoning can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and even death. It can be super uncomfortable for a senior to deal with, and it may scare you when you’re not sure what’s happening. Unfortunately, this can happen to anyone of any age, so it’s important to know what to do when this happens and how best to prevent food poisoning. Here are some of the best home care assistance tips you can use to prevent food poisoning and help your loved one when it accidentally happens.
Avoid Raw Fish and Meat
This may be the biggest thing to avoid, and for a good reason. Undercooked meat and fish can carry E.coli, which can make any person, even a senior, super sick. If something is not cleaned before eating, the bacteria can spread and cause a senior to be super uncomfortable after consuming. If a senior needs help cooking something or even a full meal, this is something that home care assistance can help with.
Wash Your Hands When Preparing Food
Dirty hands can cause food poisoning because when hands are not washed properly before handling food, bacteria, viruses, and other germs can be transferred from the hands to the food. This is why it is crucial to ensure anyone touching the food takes time to wash their hands, so no bacteria spreads to the food and makes a senior sick. Proper hygiene is crucial for seniors and home care assistance.
Refrigerate Leftovers
The longer food is left out, the more likely it is to grow bacteria. Ensuring all leftovers go into containers that can be refrigerated help ensure the bacteria stops spreading and is fine to eat within three days. Nothing should be in the fridge for longer than a few days, and it should not be consumed.
Wash All Utensils
Using dirty utensils is one way to ensure bacteria is spread. It is so important to keep the kitchen clean and sanitized and ensure that all the utensils are clean. If your senior needs help washing dishes and cleaning counters, it’s time to help them or have home care assistance help them too.
Avoid Raw Sprouts
Raw sprouts can carry things like E.coli and salmonella. These bacteria can contaminate the seeds before they are even sprouted, and then grow during the sprouting process. Unwashed, uncooked sprouts are particularly susceptible to contamination. It’s best to avoid sprouts altogether.
What To Do If Your Senior Gets Food Poisoning
If food poisoning is severe, the senior needs to go to the emergency room immediately. They need a doctor to ensure they are okay and maybe even give them antibiotics or probiotics if necessary.
Next, a senior will need to drink more water and focus on fluid levels even if they don’t feel like drinking any water. Lastly, ensure a senior is resting enough so they can recover from the food poisoning and, of course, discard the food that made them sick.
If you or an aging loved one needs Home Care Assistance in Roseville, CA, contact A Better living Home Care today (916) 514-7006
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