Health care hiring has surged over the last several years, notes Axios . However, this influx will not necessarily alleviate the impending wave of coronavirus cases. That's because a large number of the new health care jobs have been on the administrative and clerical side like hospital billing, IT, and insurance contracting — not doctors, nurses, or other clinical staffers needed to help triage and care for the sick. Over the past three years, the health care industry has added approximately 914,000 jobs, with a big chunk of these jobs having come in outpatient settings like physician offices. On the positive side, many home health jobs have been created, which could help seniors who have chronic illnesses and need to stay at home during the pandemic. The biggest need moving forward will be in hospital intensive care units.

University of Nevada, Reno pre-med student Jayde Powell has organized a growing volunteer network of "shopping angels" to provide free grocery delivery to seniors and sick people during the coronavirus outbreak, reports CNN . "As a pre-med student, I know that people who are older or people who have heart, lung, or immune conditions are especially at risk for contracting the virus," she said. Powell launched "Shopping Angels" by enlisting about 20 members of her medical fraternity, Phi Delta Epsilon. As demand expanded, she invited other classmates and went on social media to recruit more. An interview with CNN affiliate KVVU was critical for drawing national attention to the initiative. Powell has been connecting volunteers across the United States with people in need through email, phone, and Facebook since March 13. Some clients give their volunteer a shopping list, budget, and money to cover the purchase, while others buy groceries online and have their shopping angel pick them up. Shopping angels must wear masks and gloves during transportation, pickup, and delivery, and are recommended not to enter homes to ensure everyone's safety.

An Alzheimer's Association study warns that the U.S. healthcare system is woefully unprepared for a projected doubling of the national Alzheimer's population by 2050, and this "should sound an alarm regarding the future of dementia care in America," reports Big Think . Americans over 65 with Alzheimer's are forecast to total 13.8 million by 2050, and their situation will be exacerbated by a lack of appropriately trained healthcare professionals. "As a nation, we need to triple the number of geriatricians who were practicing in 2019 to have enough geriatricians to care for those 65 and older who are projected to have Alzheimer's dementia in 2050," the study said. Although primary care physicians (PCPs) are generally considered the "front line" for treating and diagnosing Alzheimer's, overreliance on them carries heavy costs. A poll found that 39 percent of PCPs reported "never or only sometimes being comfortable personally making a diagnosis of Alzheimer's or other dementias." Among the study's policy recommendations is offering scholarship and loan forgiveness programs, which incentivize people to attend medical and nursing schools and practice in rural regions; increasing education funding; and supporting programs to build capacity in primary care.

A study from the University of Birmingham in Frontiers in Exercise and Sports Nutrition suggests that how and when older adults consume protein — and not just how much — may have an impact on muscle mass, reports mindbodygreen . The investigators analyzed the diets — especially protein intake — of 120 participants split between young, middle-aged, and older adults. Although all three cohorts were meeting their recommended protein intake guidelines, older adults were not necessarily consuming it at the right times to promote healthy muscle mass. "This uneven pattern of daily protein intake likely results in a failure to meet the threshold for maximal muscle protein synthesis (MPS) stimulation during most meals," the authors said. MPS mechanisms naturally deteriorate with age, so it is critical for older adults to consume more protein than they may have required in previous years. "Most people are reaching the Recommended Daily Allowance of protein, but our results show that a one-size-fits-all guideline for protein intake isn't appropriate across all age groups," declared Birmingham's Benoit Smeuninx. He recommended that a more sophisticated and individualized strategy for evaluating protein intake "can help people understand when and how much protein to consume to support muscle mass."

A new study in JAMA Ophthalmology warns that millions of older Americans are at risk of vision loss as their population increases, according to U.S. News & World Report . Federal health data indicated that the number at high risk for vision loss rose from 65 million to 93 million between 2002 and 2017. "The number of adults at high risk for vision loss . . . may continue to increase in the coming years with the increasing population of adults over 65 years and prevalence of diabetes," said Sharon Saydah at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "While the percent of adults at high risk for vision loss who receive eye care services has increased, disparities in eye care services by education level and poverty status persisted over time." Roughly 57 percent of more than 30,000 adults who participated in nationwide government health surveys in 2002 and 2017 said they had an annual eye exam, and almost 60 percent said the exam included dilating their eyes. However, close to 9 percent who needed eyeglasses said they could not afford them. Eye exams also can detect diabetes, and Lenox Hill Hospital ophthalmologist Mark Fromer said diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration are the diseases that most affect older people's vision. He recommends annual eye exams to ensure that any problems are spotted early.

Supermarket chains across the United States are taking measures to ensure that older and at-risk Americans can stock up on food and avoid crowds during the coronavirus epidemic by reserving special hours for them, reports CBS News . Foodtown, which has roughly 30 locations in Texas, announced it would shorten its hours but make special accommodations for senior citizens, starting March 17. The company stated on its website that "we will open our doors from 7-8 a.m. to allow those ages 65 and older to shop in a less crowded environment." Fellow Texas-based grocery chain HEB announced that it "will provide a $3 million gift to support Texas non-profits helping seniors, children, and low-income families as we work together to slow the spread." Meanwhile, Shop & Stop outlets will open earlier to exclusively service customers 60 and older from 6 to 7:30 a.m., starting March 19. Certain local chains or individual stores also revised hours to service seniors, with Trader Joe's in Monrovia, Calif., reserving 9 to 9:30 a.m. for customers over 65, and California chain Northgate Market designating 7:30 to 8 a.m. for seniors. Kroger and Publix also announced modified hours in order to clean their stores more regularly.

The coronavirus and recommendations for avoiding infection may be forcing a redefinition of "old age" among baby boomers, reports the Wall Street Journal . Many boomers — a generation committed to health and exercise — have long assumed that "60 is the new 40" in terms of wellness. Yet the pandemic and concerns from younger generations about boomers' susceptibility to the virus are reframing this discussion. This obviously grates on some men and women in this age demographic, while gerontologists and those concerned with ageism harbor their own animosity toward the word "elderly." "We live in an ageist culture and we have negative associations with words and images of seniors," said gerontologist and author Thomas Cole. A review of news releases and briefings from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that while the agency warned of a higher risk from the coronavirus starting at 60 years, it did not apparently use the world "elderly." However, news reports have used the word regularly, as have world health officials and politicians.

A study from the Icahn School of Medicine in Perioperative Medicine found few U.S. anesthesiologists report preoperative screening for frailty or dementia or postoperative screening for delirium among older adults, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers polled 1,737 American Society of Anesthesiology members, and 96.4 percent of respondents said they had cared for someone 65 or older in the previous year, while 47.1 percent reported using multimodal analgesia among persons 65 or older at least 90 percent of the time. Moreover, 25.5 percent supplied preoperative information about risk for postoperative cognitive changes at least 90 percent of the time. Over 80 percent of respondents said preoperative screening for frailty or dementia, postoperative screening for delirium, or preoperative geriatric consultation was performed in less than 10 percent of cases. The initiatives most often prioritized to enhance care in this area included development of practice guidelines for geriatric anesthesia care and expansion of Web-based resources. "People with cognitive impairment and frailty can have better recovery and fewer complications if the condition is recognized and used to tailor their perioperative care," said the Icahn School of Medicine's Stacie Deiner.

University of Virginia professor and geriatrician Laurie Archbald-Pannone suggests four tips in The Conversation to help seniors remain connected during the coronavirus epidemic when advisories for social distancing are in effect. She first recommends that seniors take advantage of online communications technology like FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, or Snapchat. A second suggestion is remote participation in community activities, like volunteering to make phone calls for political parties, faith-based groups, and other organizations. Seniors also should stay current on the pandemic and other important news, but Archbald-Pannone thinks they should not do so to excess in order to avoid needless anxiety. "Watch a news update in the morning, then check in again at night," she advises. "Don't stay with it all evening — 30 minutes or an hour is plenty." Archbald-Pannone's fourth suggestion is for seniors to stay in touch with close friends and family, especially those who also are practicing social distancing. "Social distancing does not mean social isolation, and even a potentially deadly virus should not force us to be alone," she writes.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) has released a draft plan to block grant a portion of Medicaid, confirms Politico Pro . This marks the first formal proposal issued by a state since the Trump administration encouraged them earlier this year to "pursue the new conservative twist" on the safety net program. The draft waiver would only apply to the poor adults in that demographic, with the proposal including a phased-in requirement that most adults either work, volunteer, or attend school. The draft waiver is now out for a month-long comment period in the state — the first step in a lengthy process. The state requires approval from CMS, and Medicaid advocates are expected to challenge the block grants in court, which could entangle the policy in a protracted legal battle.