is raw meat unhealthy as a person ages, especially toward senior citizens? If so why?
the verdict asked:
I recently took over care of an elderly couple, previous caretaker fed undercooked steak at elderly request for past few years. I’m concerned for health risks since they are senior citizens. What danger/risks do they face if any?
Caffeinated Content
June 22nd, 2009 at 3:15 am
The only obvious risk would be from bacteria still contained in the meat if it wasn’t cooked properly causing food poisoning. Any signs of this would obviously have been & gone by now so it is unlikely to leave any lasting problems.
The risk is the same to any person eating rare steaks etc however the effects if they did become ill are worse for older people with weaker immune systems.
You need to think that if something DID happen would you be the one held responsible for giving people in your care food poisoning regardless of the fact they asked you to cook them that way?
June 24th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Very interesting question indeed. I too would agree a person’s immune system would be a factor. I always wondered what constitued ‘raw’ meat. At what stage other than the obvious totally uncooked, would it be considered raw. I like my steaks medium rare. I’ve seen some people have them thrown on the grilled, seared quickly on both sides, and come off very rare. I can’t stomach that. I’m looking forward to reading the answers, and may learn something from this.
June 26th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Raw meat is always a risk to your health if compared to fully and completely cooked meat. This is especially true with the aged. I have eaten my share and a few other folks share of TarTare. This is raw ground lean beef, raw egg and chopped raw onion. I am sixty-seven and still kicking and, O K , irritating a few people, I am sure, but that suggest that I am alive and relatively healthy. What I eat has been my choice. I stand responsible for my actions and habits. You owe me nothing beyond your Christian beliefs. I plan on eating several more calves in my lifetime and the steaks will be rare to very rare.
June 26th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Older people are a much higher risk for major complications including the much higher death rate from the eating and getting Salmonella, and several other food related problems and even contracting certain parasites. They do not have a strong enough system to fight off things like this. Also many medications can no longer work right if they develop symptoms like Vomiting and/or Diarrhea other wise called Dysentery, I would talk to their doctor and if he says it’s ok make sure you note it and ask they send a note to the agency you work for to put in the records. The last thing you would want is for one of them to get sick and the family say you should not have given them the raw meat. With a doctors note saying it was ok it protects you and the agency.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I rarely eat red meat anymore, but when I did/do, it’s always rare with the inside red. It’s just easier to digest that way. As long as it gets some heat, the germs shouldn’t be a problem for a person of any age. Poultry & pork should always be cooked completely.
I suppose the greatest risk would be the bacteria & the second greatest, yet equally risky, would be the stress of having a hard to digest food in your body that can stress out the heart. Why not try to introduce some vegetarian replacement dishes into their lives…it could prolong your job as caretaker & their time on this earth!
June 30th, 2009 at 6:31 am
Steak is a lot less risky than ground up beef or pork. I eat my steak medium rare. So much easier to chew. If it is their preference and it has not hurt them so far, they should be able to have it the way they want.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
I would think a lot of things would be less harmful to the elderly than one might think. We were raised before the age of modern wrappings, irradiation and refrigeration. Instead of all surfaces being sprayed with chemicals we actually met up with most germs and thus have systems that have naturally built up immunities. My grandmother always said that ” A speck o’ dirt in a young ‘un did more good than harm.” Can you imagine a high chair table of yesteryear..just wiped over with a plain wet cloth? We survived.
July 2nd, 2009 at 1:23 am
One thing to consider is whether the folks are on chemotherapy of any kind. If they are, then their meats should certainly be cooked through.
July 4th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Raw meat is unhealthy for anyone.
July 6th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Well I am 67 years young and if you bring ME a well cooked steak you can leave the premises- - - with it. I like my steak medium rare or scorched on the outside and bright pink in the middle - whatever that translates to! Also there is a big difference between RAW meat and UNDERCOOKED meat! Use your dictionary! CJ
July 9th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Bacterial or other contamination is bad enough for young people with healthy immune systems. Restaurants in many states have to refuse serving rare meat because of health regulations. By undercooked, I assume you mean rare, not raw.
An elderly person with a compromised immune system could easily get food poisoning or other bacterial problems. Raw meat is fine for dogs, not humans unless specially selected and prepared steak tartare.
July 11th, 2009 at 10:49 am
I worked in Food Service for many years & one thing I already knew, was that raw meat isn’t healthy for anyone, especially the Senior Citizens. All meat has to be cooked to a safe temp in order to be healthy to eat. Salmonella can kill especially when a person’s immune system has been compromised for one reason or another.
July 12th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Two that come to mind right away: bacterial infection and trichinosis.
July 15th, 2009 at 6:05 am
You may start with E coli bacteria, go from there for eating raw meat. Our internal systems are not geared for that anymore, as they once were. The present bacteria in raw or undercooked meats is not worth the effort to eat it.
July 16th, 2009 at 3:48 am
No, it has never been safe and even worse now. If the meat is too tough, try cooking it low and slow and making a gravy. It will still taste good and the risks of undercooked food just aren’t worth it.
July 16th, 2009 at 6:22 am
A great way to get sick.
July 19th, 2009 at 12:12 am
Eating raw meat can be unhealthy at any age! Bacteria that can kill or make you sick doesn’t seem to know a person’s age. Salmonella, e-coli and trichinosis are not only a geriatric concern.