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Food Safety Education for Senior Citizens
| Name | Susan K. Hovey | | Situation | Certain groups of citizens are more susceptible to foodborne illness than others. Senior citizens make up one of those risk groups because the body begins to produce less stomach acid at approximately age 75 and therefore is less able to defend itself against foodborne bacteria and viruses. Senior Citizens (age 65 and above) make up 16.1% of the population in
Union County, according to 2000 Census Data. | | Response | The Union County Council on Aging asked Clemson Extension to provide one nutrition and food safety lesson each month at each of the five senior centers that provides low-cost meals to seniors through the Older Americans Act. The Family & Consumer Sciences agent met with the seniors at each of those five centers at 11:00 each month to present a 30-minute
lesson. During the month of July 2006, that lesson was entitled "Food Safety for Seniors." During the year, this same lesson was also requested by a group of senior volunteers in Spartanburg County, a senior church group in Spartanburg County, and a senior residential center in Union County. | | Impact | Seventy-six seniors in Union County and 41 seniors in Spartanburg County were reached with this lesson, for a total of 117. Of these 117 people, 90 stated that they had learned new information, helping them to be more aware of how improperly handled food can make them ill and how some foods are riskier for seniors than others. Seniors are a growing segment of the
population. Information from this lesson will help them to reduce their risk of illness from food, as they become more susceptible to problems as they age. Reducing their risk of foodborne illness will help them to save money which would be spent on doctor visits, medication, and perhaps hospitalization, and will help them be healthier so that related problems cannot overtake their bodies due to a weakened immune system. |
Last update8/14/2008
This website is maintained by Bryan Smith.
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