Submitted by: Connie Beaudry Community Resource Coordinator, Services to Seniors Swan River

Katie Kroeker, RD Health Promotion Community Development PMH, provided a nice presentation on food safety. Part of the fun was to put fake germs/bacteria on our hands, then wash them to see how effective our hand washing techniques are. We all passed this hand washing test. Bacteria can make people sick, you cannot smell or feel them, but we can reduce our risk of foodborne illness by the following 4 ways:

1. Cleaning surfaces, utensils, our hands and food products, the act of washing fruits and vegetables, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten, with cold running water does in fact remove the bacteria, science proves it.

2. Separate raw food from the ready to eat food, do not cross contaminate raw to cooked, use separate tools when handling the raw burgers to flipping and serving the cooked burgers,

3. Cook food to the appropriate temperatures, use a food thermometer, roasts and steaks to a minimum of 145F, Poultry 165F, ground meat and eggs 160F, fish 145F. Heat leftovers to 165F, stirring to avoiding cold spots where bacteria live, boil soups, gravy and sauces.

4. Chill properly. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, never thaw meat on the counter, thaw in the refrigerator or in cold water changing the water every ½ hour. Let cooked foods cool for less than 2 hours before putting them in the refrigerator or freezer, this keeps the temperature in the appliances consistent.

Treat all food, including leftovers, with this motto: When in doubt-throw it out.

Deb Schulz, Nurse Practitioner with Prairie Mountain Health Swan River followed with a tough topic of Elder Abuse Awareness. No one wants to believe that someone they know, and love could try to harm them. Harm can come in many ways, such as emotional, physical, phycological, neglect or financial. In Manitoba it is mandatory to report suspected abuse and neglect promptly. This means that anyone who has a reasonable basis to believe abuse or neglect has occurred, or is likely to occur, must report these concerns as soon as possible. The Protection for Persons in Care Office of Manitoba Health receives and investigates reports of suspected patient/resident abuse and neglect. If a person’s life or well-being is in immediate danger, take steps to ensure the person’s safety first, then call the confidential , toll-free line at 1-866-440-6366, TTY Toll-free 1-800-855-0511 or email: protection@gov.mb.ca

We look forward to having New Horizon’s for Seniors Program cover the costs for some of our future presentations. July 25th and 27th we will talk with professionals about sleep Hygiene and have some fun with a sing-along with some of our local bands and musicians and as always, we will have self-testing blood pressure machines available.