A study by University of Southern California (USC) researchers published in Emotion investigated "emotion-induced blindness," or the distractions caused by emotionally arousing stimuli, reports ScienceDaily . The team looked at how older adults prioritize emotional information in experiments that used a quickly presented sequence of images. Both younger and older adults exhibited emotion-induced blindness, but older adults were more distracted by positive images and less distracted by negative ones. "Older adults seem to view their world with a filter that cares less about negative information than younger adults — to the point that, without even having time to think about and reflect on what they are seeing, they give less attention to it," said USC's Briana Kennedy. She noted the images were presented very rapidly, which enabled the research team to measure the early levels of cognition and determine how something that's emotional can disrupt our perception and awareness of things that come after it. Kennedy suggested, "If we can better understand older adults' filter or priority mechanism for things that are positive — that also cares less about things that are negative — that might eventually help identify strategies that other people can use to overcome negative experiences."

A study published in npj Digital Medicine , led by researchers at Indiana University (IU), discovered women and older adults taking multiple prescription drugs are significantly more likely to be prescribed medications with dangerous interactions, reports News at IU Bloomington . The team found a 60 percent higher risk for adverse drug reaction in women versus men. Meanwhile, one in every four older adults over age 55, and one in every three aged 70 to 79, received drugs with an interaction. The researchers found 181 drug combinations prescribed against recommendations altogether, dispensed to 15,527 study participants — including 5,000 who received drug combinations known for serious complications. "We expected some elevated risk in older adults since they use more medications, but not this high," stated IU Professor Luis Rocha. "The gender bias was completely unexpected." Medications that were most frequently prescribed in hazardous combinations were standard drugs like omeprazole, fluoxetine, and ibuprofen, along with less common drugs like erythromycin.

The U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register proposing revisions to Part 103 of its Rules and Regulations. NLRB believes the proposed amendments would better shield workers' statutory right of free choice on issues of representation. Among the proposed amendments is changing the blocking charge policy with a vote-and-impound procedure, ensuring elections would no longer be impeded by pending unfair labor practice charges, although ballots would be impounded until the charges are resolved. The board also proposes reverting to a ruling concerning voluntary recognition under Section 9(a) of the act. The board recommends that to prohibit a subsequent representation petition — and for a post-recognition collective-bargaining agreement to have contract-bar effect — unit employees must be notified that voluntary recognition has been allowed with a 45-day open period within which to file an election petition. Furthermore, pertaining to Section 9(a) Recognition in the Construction Industry, the board proposes that proof of a Section 9(a) relationship will demand positive evidence of majority employee support and cannot be based on contract language alone.

A report in MIT Technology Review investigated Senior Planet, a retirement community and coworking space in Manhattan, where seniors can gain knowledge of small business management, according to Business Insider . Such skills are of prime importance for seniors, especially as older entrepreneurs are assuming a larger role in the American economy. One participant, Michael Taylor, said he began attending Senior Planet to get help with website design for an already successful small enterprise. Babson College's 2016 State of Small Business in America report estimated that 51 percent of small businesses are run by people aged 50 or older, up from 46 percent in 2007. Moreover, such businesses are staying open longer than ones founded by younger entrepreneurs. For example, 70 percent of senior-run small businesses are still operating three years after opening versus 28 percent of businesses run by younger generations. Senior Planet seeks to eradicate stereotypes of tech-averse seniors. "When you're a senior, and you've got an idea and you want to make it happen, somebody has to help out a little bit," says Senior Planet founder Tom Kamber.

A study in Alzheimer's and Dementia found Alzheimer's kills a network of brain cells that keeps people awake, reports Newsweek . This may explain why some people feel sleepy during the day years before they receive an Alzheimer's diagnosis. The researchers learned that the tau protein had built up in three brain regions that help people stay awake in deceased subjects with Alzheimer's, and 75 percent of neurons in those areas were gone. Investigation of the brains of seven people with two other forms of dementia — progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal disease — did not find damage in those regions, suggesting Alzheimer's may have a unique impact on the brain. "Our study shows that . . . the daytime sleepiness is a primary event caused by degeneration of the wake-promoting neurons rather than a reaction to the fragmented sleep, and as such, the treatment should be different," said University of California, San Francisco Professor Lea Grinberg.

A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found seniors with dementia living at home may suffer more pain, and face more difficult or unmet medical needs, than those in nursing communities, reports Medical Xpress . Living-at-home participants had more chronic conditions, were more likely to be bothered by pain, and had suffered falls in the last month or had concerns about falls. That population also was more likely to be worried and to be in fair or poor health. "People with dementia benefit from consistent and predictable environments and caregivers," said the University of California, San Francisco's Krista Harrison. "Nursing communities may offer more people to help with medical and social needs, but that might mean sharing a room with someone with different daily habits or distressing behavior symptoms."

Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a task force led by the state's former first lady, Maria Shriver, that will look at the challenges that Alzheimer's presents for the state's expanding senior populace, reports the Sacramento Bee . Former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz will serve as the group's strategic adviser, and former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also will be a member. Also tapped by Newsom and Shriver to serve are leading physicians and researchers, in addition to caregivers and laypeople such as "Blue Zones" author Dan Buettner. "Far too many Californians have seen the crushing grip of Alzheimer's on our loved ones," Newsom stated in announcing the Alzheimer's Prevention and Preparedness Task Force. "It is one of the leading causes of death among Californians with particularly severe impacts on our mothers, wives, and daughters. It's time we take meaningful action for those living with Alzheimer's and for the people who love and care for them." The task force's inaugural meeting is scheduled for November as part of national Alzheimer's Awareness Month. The group is charged with issuing a report by fall 2020, around the same time that the unveiling of Newsom's master plan on aging is expected.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2017 National Health Interview Survey found 82 percent of adults ages 65 to 74 described their health as "excellent," "very good," or "good" — far more than those who called their health "fair" or "poor," reports the Daily Herald . Meanwhile, 73 percent of respondents 75 and older reported their health as positive, while just 27 percent skewed negative. This trend can be explained by the fact that many people consider good health to go beyond lack of illness or disability. This positive-leaning group tends to ascribe more value to vitality, emotional well-being, positive social relationships, remaining active, and satisfaction with life. Emory University Professor Ellen Idler said even when dealing with medical conditions and impairments, older adults can usually think of people their age who are worse off, such as those who have died or ended up in assisted living communities. "People hit their 80s and 90s, look around, and feel pretty good about just being alive," she noted.

Edinboro University in Pennsylvania has joined the Age-Friendly University Global Network, which is focused on understanding the needs of older adults and rating age-friendly programs and policies, reports the Waynesboro Record Herald . The project also seeks to find gaps in college-level programs and services for older learners. The effort was started in 2012 in Ireland and has since enrolled more than 150 universities in Europe, North America, and Asia. Participating universities collaborate to identify and share emerging age-friendly efforts and promote lifelong learning via innovative education, research, and community engagement. Adult students at Edinboro University can avail themselves of individualized support, priority scheduling, 24-hour online tutoring, flexible class schedules, and online learning. An Adult Learner Advisory Council offers support to older learners, and learners older than 62 can audit up to 30 semester hours of courses on campus for free.

SAGE's Kathleen LaTosch says LGBT seniors face challenges when entering a long-term care community — challenges that caregivers sometimes overlook, reports Michigan Radio . "They're not thinking about the fact that LGBT seniors are three times more likely to be living in poverty because of a lifetime of employment discriminations," she points out. "They're not thinking about the fact that they might not be legally married and are less likely to have a partner to help care for them." LGBT seniors also are worried about the possibility of discrimination from staff or fellow residents. A SAGE fact sheet found 48 percent of lesbian, gay, or bisexual couples experience "adverse treatment when seeking senior housing," with transgender seniors encountering such treatment more often. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation will this year work with SAGE on the Long-Term Care Equality Index, a national survey for gauging LGBT inclusiveness of long-term senior living communities. According to LaTosch, these communities will then receive training to help them improve inclusivity.