Safety First This Memorial Day

• Grilling some delicious burgers and chicken wings? Let’s not spoil an eventful evening with food poisoning. Did you know that U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that beef is cooked to 160 degrees and poultry to 145 degrees. Even though the meat looks tasty and done, it may not be cooked properly all the way through. Investing in a food thermometer is always a wise idea while grilling outdoors. Remember that you are responsible for the health of those you cook for! Bon appetit!

 

• You’ve been waiting all week to try on that new bathing suit, spend a day out on the lake, and just chill out. The last thing on your mind is dousing yourself in sunscreen right? Whether you burn easily or not, sunscreen is an essential for anyone spending a considerable amount of time in the sun. Experts recommend that you use SPF 15 or above, while reapplying sunscreen every two hours. Just because you doused yourself in SPF 80 at 9 a.m. doesn’t ensure safety for an entire day. We recommend setting alerts on your phone to remind yourself to reapply while you’re out and about. We don’t want to see you in your ER with severe burns this weekend!

 

• Traveling to new places is a ton of fun! However, we find that many people solely rely on their GPS to do all of the work. This will get you from A to B, but are you really familiar with the new city you’re traveling to? An hour of research at lunch could be extremely helpful to understanding the do’s and don’ts along your trek. Every city has places to go and places to avoid. We’d also recommend bringing a traveling first aid kit. From tiny bumps or bruises to minor allergic reactions, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. We don’t expect you to be like the Griswalds on vacation, but the unexpected should be expected!

 

• Thieves love vacation weekends and they can figure your whereabouts on social media. Does your Facebook have privacy settings that filter out strangers from seeing your posts? If you alert them that you’re away for three days on your timeline this gives potential criminals an opportunity to rob your home. We recommend not posting your entire vacation itinerary on social media, or beefing up privacy settings across the board.

 

• Hydration is key! In the warmer months we get a lot of patients who have suffered from dehydration during outdoor activities. If you know you’re going to be outside for several hours and possibly drinking alcohol, we recommend drinking plenty of water the night before. The best way to avoid dehydration will be to drink a solid 16 ounce bottle of water before bed and another before you leave for your outdoor activity. However, in a perfect world you’d be drinking water throughout the day for optimal safety!

Regardless of your top safety precautions we know that unexpected health situations can occur. That’s why we’re here for your 24/7/365. Visit https://nec24.com/ to find a Neighbors Emergency Center near you!

Austin/San Antonio

How can you go wrong with the state’s capital? From the live music, to outdoor adventures, to great food, Austin can be a family vacation or an adult playground. Adding variation for the entire family makes it one of the top choices for a day trip on everyone’s Texas to-do list. If you have extra time, San Antonio is within an hour’s drive of Austin. Offering two world-class theme parks and the River Walk, San Antonio is never a bad idea for a short family vacation.

Houston

Houston may not naturally be the prettiest town of the bunch, but when it comes down to looking for things to do no city is more equipped! Houston boasts an array of food options, that makes it impossible for even their own residents to visit them all. After a good meal, the Houston nightlife scene offers such a variety that even homebodies can find something for them! From multi-cultural performing arts to some of the biggest entertainment names in the world, the venues are top tier. For the daytime, Houston offers a variety of parks and recreational centers. We recommend taking a stroll in Memorial Park, a beautiful inner city park that will make you forget you’re in a major downtown metroplex.

Tyler

Looking for a calm and relaxing weekend? Tyler, Texas isn’t as well known as our previous entries, but it takes the cake for natural beauty in the northern part of the state. Checkout their beautiful gardens, recreational centers, antique shops, and museums. Finish your day off at one of their five exquisite wineries. This is a perfect spot for couples that want to get away from the hustle and bustle.

Neighbors Emergency Centers remind you to be safe this holiday weekend on all of your adventures! Should the unexpected arise, our locations are all over the lone star state!