A 2018 AARP survey estimated that people older than 50 will spend more than $84 billion annually on technology products over the next decade, yet technology makers have little regard for their needs, other than medical and care applications, reports Forbes . Currently, 91 percent of American adults 50 and up report having a computer, and more than 80 percent between 50 and 64 have smartphones. A 2016 survey by AARP and the Entertainment Software Association determined 38 percent of Americans 50 and older play video games, with 59 percent playing on computers and laptops and 57 percent playing on mobile phones. Moreover, 40 percent said they played a game every day, and people older than 60 were most likely to be frequent players. Meanwhile, a 2018 Pew Research survey found social media usage among 50- to 64-year-olds has expanded to 64 percent in the last several years. Also noticeable is a sharp gain in online shopping among older consumers. These various trends point to lucrative opportunities for technology companies to cater to older demographics, outside of the health and senior care sectors.

Job growth at the nation's smallest businesses has fallen to the lowest levels in almost eight years as such employers struggle to attract and retain workers in the tightest U.S. job market in 50 years, reports the Wall Street Journal . The number of men and women employed by companies with less than 20 workers increased by less than 1 percent in both March and last month versus the same months a year earlier, reports Moody's Analytics. Hiring at the smallest companies hasn't been this low since May 2011, when the U.S. economy was still recovering from the economic meltdown. Around 17 percent of private-sector workers — almost 21 million Americans — work at businesses with fewer than 20 employees, the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers show. "Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, added that growth at firms with 20 to 49 employees has also slowed since the job market began tightening in 2016's fourth quarter.

More than 134,000 Californians 50 and older are now enrolled in public colleges and universities to switch careers, pursue unexplored interests, and obtain degrees they never finished or had the opportunity to start, reports the Santa Cruz Sentinel . Some seniors are leveraging a little-known California State University (CSU) initiative, the "Over 60 Program," which waives tuition and most student fees for citizens 60 and older no matter their income level. Although most CSU campuses offered the program at one time, today only about 33 percent offer it. A CSU spokesperson said seniors will continue to be welcome on CSU campuses, provided openings are available. About 200 people are presently enrolled in the Over 60 Program systemwide, and about 800 students older than 59 are enrolled at CSU campuses outside the Over 60 Program. A larger number of seniors are enrolled at California's state's community colleges. Kathleen Molina, who heads the Over 60 Program at Fresno State, says the program is not a drain on CSU's limited resources, noting program participants cannot enroll in classes until after regular students have signed up. She says over 50 percent of participants are on fixed incomes and could not afford a CSU education otherwise.

Research led by Dr. Stephanie Chow of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City indicates that health care programs that target the needs of older patients can reduce unnecessary visits to the emergency department, reports Medscape . The researchers assessed a model in which two clinicians, a social worker, and a care coordinator provided services for seniors at risk for hospitalization. Under the model, known as the Geriatrics Preventable Admissions Care Team (GERIPACT), the group made house calls to patients diagnosed with everything from stroke to myocardial infarction to cancer and were dealing with different doctors and new therapeutic regimens. The intervention typically lasts about 60 days, after which the patient returns to primary care. During regular meetings, the doctor and nurse practitioner ensure that the medical issues are taken care of, and the social worker and care coordinator "make sure that things like health insurance, transportation, meals, housing, and caregivers are in place, and that the caregivers are well supported," Chow says. For individuals who had been hospitalized, a geriatric pharmacist performs medication reconciliation for each patient at discharge. The researchers reviewed the use of health care resources by 78 patients six months before and six months after the GERIPACT intervention, finding that there were 14 fewer visits to the emergency department after the intervention than before and 16 fewer hospitalizations. Chow says, "Our hope is that the GERIPACT model will help primary care doctors, many of whom do not do geriatrics."

The results of a Phase 3 trial of Merck's insomnia drug suvorexant in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 71st Annual Meeting suggested the drug improves sleep, with more overall sleep time and shorter bouts of insomnia compared to placebo in test subjects, reports AlzForum . Suvorexant tablets are to be administered half an hour before bedtime, with the drug targeting orexin receptors in the brain. Orexin is generated in the hypothalamus and binds to receptors in several brain areas, and the subsequent signaling keeps a person awake. Suvorexant temporarily blocks this signaling by binding and inhibiting orexin receptors. Certain individuals with Alzheimer's have high orexin levels in their cerebral spinal fluid, and 77 percent of persons treated with suvorexant were found to tolerate the drug well enough to double their doses. At baseline, people on the medication slept an average 278 minutes, versus 274 minutes for placebo users. After four weeks of treatment, subjects on suvorexant slept 73 minutes longer at night, while the controls' nighttime slumber improved by 45 minutes. Treated individuals also were twice as likely as those on placebo to gain an additional hour of sleep.

Financial-technology (fintech) companies are starting to provide online solutions designed to help adult children of aging parents track their finances and well-being, reports the Wall Street Journal . Such tools often employ artificial intelligence (AI) to perform tasks ranging from bill payment to flagging suspicious financial activities. Pioneering fintech services include EverSafe, an account-monitoring tool to combat financial exploitation, and True Link Financial, which supplies a prepaid debit card that can be tailored to specify both holder spending limits and accepted places of card usage. Meanwhile, Golden Corp. analyzes accounts to cut redundant spending and assist with paying bills. Thus far, the market for these services is nascent, since most fintech products are designed for millennials. However, increasingly affluent baby boomers should remake the market. Some of these services are gaining credibility and appeal due to regulatory changes, which are making it simpler for financial institutions to contact relatives of older customers and advise them on online protection solutions.

A study from the American Psychological Association (APA) warns anger can adversely affect the health of older adults by increasing inflammation and elevating the risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease, or arthritis, reports ConsumerAffairs . "Our study showed that anger can lead to the development of chronic illnesses, whereas sadness did not," said APA researcher Meaghan A. Barlow. Analysis of more than 220 older adults between 59 and 93 found anger became physically troublesome for those 80 and older. Subjects younger than 80 and those who reported feelings of sadness did not experience the same inflammatory effects. According to Barlow, age was the biggest differentiator, with the younger cohort — as opposed to the older — finding anger to be "an energizing emotion" that "can help motivate them to pursue life goals." Barlow added that anger "becomes problematic for adults once they reach 80 years old . . . because that is when many experience irreversible losses and some of life's pleasures fall out of reach." She suggested "if we better understand which negative emotions are harmful, not harmful, or even beneficial to older people, we can teach them how to cope with loss in a healthy way. This may help them let go of their anger."

A study published in the International Journal of Obesity suggested persons with a higher body mass index (BMI) might live as long as those with a lower BMI, but with fewer years spent in good health, reports ScienceDaily . At 60 years old, obese Singaporeans can expect about six more years of remaining life with limited physical function and about five fewer years of remaining life without this limitation versus those with normal weight. Meanwhile, obese 60-year-olds with limited activities of daily living could expect 3.5 more years of remaining life compared with non-obese persons, and 3.5 fewer years of remaining life without this limitation. The research found that these patterns also hold for persons aged 70 and 80, and no matter their gender, ethnicity, or level of education. "Our study suggests that health systems, social, and community services in aging populations need to continue focusing on promoting normal weight as well as maintaining physical abilities of older adults in order to increase healthy life years," said Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School Professor Chan Wei-Ming Angelique.

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society determined older adults with hematologic malignancies who need help with at least one basic or crucial daily living activity are at a higher risk for mortality than those requiring no assistance, reports Healio . Generally, 26.7 percent of 464 participants reported at least one dependency for instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs), while 11.4 percent listed at least one dependency for basic activities of daily living (ADLs). Subjects with at least one iADL dependency also were more likely to visit emergency departments and have unplanned hospitalizations. Furthermore, those who had an iADL dependency and aggressive cancer also exhibited significantly shorter median survival than those who were iADL independent and had aggressive cancer. "The association was strongest for those with the most advanced blood cancers, suggesting that higher-order functioning is critical to surviving aggressive leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma," noted Harvard Medical School's Clark DuMontier.

The National Council on Aging's BenefitsCheckUp Team offers a comprehensive solution to a scarcity of information available to seniors about aging-supportive benefits programs. BenefitsCheckUp is accessible from anywhere with Internet connectivity, and it only requires a small amount of user-supplied information. The tool produces a printable list of results tailored to each user. It examines hundreds of programs across 12 categories, ranging from housing and utilities to tax relief and transportation, before offering suggestions. All the information furnished by each user remains confidential. BenefitsCheckUp can help seniors meet the challenges in fulfilling the core themes of this year's Older Americans Month: Connect, Create, Contribute.