The CDC does a great job of researching and reporting on a wide variety of necessary information for us and for our families. I’ve used their site when my daughters went overseas on church mission trips. I’ve searched their site for swine flu information for my family and for this site. Today I’ve discovered two more great pages full of information for Sandwich Generation caregivers!

E. COLI RECALLS

Did you know there are at  least 2 more E. coli recalls going on, for both cookie dough and beef? I didn’t, but the CDC has all the facts. Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough and ConAgra beef are both listed on the recalls. If you think you have any of these products, call your grocery store to ask. (I called my store and was reassured to find that they did not not have any meat from that source.) Then head on over to your aging parents to look through their refrigerator. (Fortunately, my senior mom doesn’t eat beef.) While you’re at it, this is an excellent time to really look at what’s in their refrigerator. One great way we can provide elderly assistance to our senior parents is to make sure they are eating healthily, getting enough to eat, and storing their foods safely. Make sure they are throwing away food that has been in the refrigerator longer than three days.

EXTREME HEAT HEALTH PROBLEMS

Another area where the CDC is a big help is extreme heat health problems! According to the CDC, senior citizens, 65 years of age or older, may not compensate for heat stress efficiently and are less likely to sense and respond to change in temperature. If they are overweight, they are prone to heat sickness, putting them at more risk. For more on this subject, and to see some great resource lists of what to do to prevent problems, along with symptoms of heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and more, check out CDC’s Heat Guide.

I am going to bookmark the CDC site for future reference, as well as print out the heat guide sheet for myself and my senior mom. I never want to nag, but I  have found that it is good to keep reinforcing this kind of information with my aging parents. How about you? Got any “hot” tips for us on this subject. We’d love to hear them.