Many employers are dropping marijuana from the drug tests they require of prospective employees. Marijuana testing—a fixture at large American employers for at least 30 years—excludes too many potential workers, experts say, at a time when filling jobs is more challenging than it has been in nearly two decades. Though still in its early stages, the shift away from marijuana testing appears likely to accelerate. More states are legalizing cannabis for recreational use; Michigan could become the 10th state to do so in November. There is no definitive data on how many companies conduct drug tests, though the Society for Human Resource Management found in a survey that 57 percent do so, reports the Associated Press .

The findings of a survey from the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation contradict stereotypical views about older Americans' sex lives, reports ScienceDaily . Seventy-three percent of 1,002 people reported satisfaction with their sex lives, and 18 percent of older men and 3 percent of older women noted they have taken medications or supplements to improve sexual function in the past two years. However, just 17 percent of older adults said they have talked with their doctor or other healthcare providers about sexual health in that period. Most who had such consultations noted they brought the topic up, suggesting the need for more proactive conversations. U-M's Erica Solway says the survey uncovered sharp differences in terms of health, age, and gender. Compared with the 45 percent of respondents with excellent, very good, or good health who said they were sexually active, only 22 percent of those in fair or poor health also were sexually active; just 28 percent of those with fair or poor health said they were extremely or very happy with their sex lives. Moreover, those between 65 and 70 were almost twice as likely as those in their late 70s to be sexually active, while 33 percent of those in their late 60s said they were extremely or very interested in sex, versus 19 percent of those in their late 70s. The most pronounced gender difference was the percentage of those who said they were extremely or very interested in sex, with half of men 65 to 80 saying they had this level of interest, compared with 12 percent of women in the same age range.

A pilot study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease demonstrated that low-cost wearable sensors could offer a cost-effective way to detect early Alzheimer's symptoms and track progression of the disease, reports EurekAlert . The researchers note their findings show that these sensors can effectively assess changes in a person's gait and be employed for continuous "free-living" monitoring of gait during everyday activities. "Free-living gait analysis at home is particularly useful as it allows objective observation of an individual's day-to-day activity," says Newscastle University Professor Lynn Rochester. "It also has the benefit of providing continuous data over a prolonged time that may be more sensitive than one-off assessments." The study involved 20 volunteers with early Alzheimer's who wore a small sensor on their lower back and conducted walking tasks in a laboratory and then went home wearing the sensor for a week. "Body-worn sensors can provide an enriched picture of an individual's gait function and walking activities that could act as a complementary diagnostic tools for clinicians," Rochester notes. "Clinical use of body-worn sensors in annual health assessments could track gait changes over time and act as a red flag for cognitive impairment."

A study from United Income determined one of every six American retirees is a millionaire, if the value of their homes is accounted for, reports InvestmentNews . Their average wealth has climbed more than 100 percent since 1989 to $752,000, while the share of those who are millionaires has doubled. Sixty-two percent of retirees are enjoying life without physical or cognitive limitations, compared to 49 percent in 1963. However, the study also noted that, "The largest change in activity is a near doubling of the amount of time retirees watch TV over the past 40 years." The average 60-year-old retiree now watches TV almost three hours daily, with the biggest gains in high-income, highly educated households, which experienced a 78 percent increase in couch time since 1975, versus 43 percent for lower-income households. The study also cited 2016 Pew Research Center data indicating that more than 55 percent of households older than age 65 watch cable news, which "actually reduced knowledge that people have about actual events." Meanwhile, income inequality among retirees has remained more or less the same since 1989, although a rising stock market triggered a 42 percent rise in wealth inequality among older Americans. "The wealthiest retirees are wealthier but are not spending more, relative to previous generations," says United Income CEO Matt Fellowes.

More assisted living, independent living, and continuing care retirement communities are being constructed in the United States wherever economies are healthy and prosperous rather than in warmer-climate regions, reports the New York Times . This is because many seniors are opting to relocate near their adult children for help in their final years. AARP Foundation President Lisa Marsh Ryerson says prolonged isolation has serious health effects on seniors, while a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found a link between isolation and loneliness and a higher risk of mortality in adults 52 and older. Senior living communities can help counter that isolation, as can moving closer to adult children. "It's often the case that the adult child — and usually adult daughter — visits their parent and finds there's something that's not completely copacetic," says Beth Burnham Mace with the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care. "They left the stove on, or have ambulatory needs, or trouble with meds. Something sets off an alarm bell that they need some type of assistance." Experts predict that the demand for senior housing will continue growing, partly because older homeowners who may have been hesitant to sell their homes when the housing market was weak are now more willing to sell and relocate. Moreover, the new tax law, which doubled the standard deduction for most taxpayers while cutting the amount of mortgage interest homeowners can deduct, also may incentivize older homeowners to sell.

The National Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services has sidelined a push to combat dementia, and now is only recommending that the United States try to obtain more information about the impact of dementia-related costs on people and their caregivers, reports Think Advisor . In a recent presentation , the council suggested the U.S. should "develop information about the impact" and "identify approaches to address negative effects." In a related report , the group also suggested someone should acquire "comprehensive, descriptive information" about costs, including out-of-pocket expenses for people who already receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits but are still in the 24-month waiting period that SSDI recipients must endure before they qualify for Medicare. The council also urged researchers to analyze how the financial burden impacts people's quality of life, their access to care that could slow dementia progression, and their ability to participate in clinical trials. The council recommended someone should develop information and educational materials to help people with dementia and their caregivers improve financial decisions and lower their dementia-related out-of-pocket costs and financial burden. The group's sole referral to private insurance is a proposed survey questionnaire draft and a link to an appendix summarizing what insurers told the council about paying for dementia care.

The National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) has found the Long Beach, Calif., Medical Center's policies requiring direct care providers to wear hospital-approved pins and hospital-branded badge reels to be in violation of the National Labor Relations Act, reports Becker's Hospital Review . The pin policy directed all employees to only wear "MHS approved pins, badges, and professional certifications," while the badge reel policy was solely applicable to direct care providers, instructing employees to only wear badge reels "branded with MemorialCare approved logos or text." NRLB officials said the pin policy broke the law because it was restricted to direct care areas and the hospital failed to identify special circumstances warranting the restriction. Meanwhile, the badge reel policy violated the law because it failed to specify it only applied in immediate care areas. The board said the hospital's failure to have the language of the rule adequately address both of those aspects supported an "ambiguity about the scope of the policy." The NLRB also noted the hospital failed to provide evidence demonstrating employees disturbed care recipients or disrupted care operations by wearing badge reels with union insignia. "Healthcare employers should ensure that their policies regarding dress code and grooming strictly comply with the National Labor Relations Act and that any restrictions only apply to immediate ... care areas," the board said.

Nursing community care has gotten better in the United States this year, with the portion of residents whose physical mobility improved climbing significantly in each state, according to a Commonwealth Fund review . In nursing communities, the potentially detrimental use of antipsychotic drugs as "chemical restraints" has declined in almost all states. This likely mirrors the goals of the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes, which backs state-based coalitions in efforts to reduce inappropriate antipsychotic drug use and improve care for residents with dementia.

A brain imaging study published in Neurology of 70 healthy adults aged 30 to 60, half of whom had been following a Mediterranean diet for at least five years, found the diet group had 15 percent less beta-amyloid, reports New Scientist . Follow-up scanning three years later revealed that those on the Mediterranean diet had slower buildup of beta-amyloid and slower decline in brain metabolism, and the team estimated that the diet should provide at least 3.5 years of additional protection against Alzheimer's. However, the results of a second brain imaging study in older people has found even more positive benefits. The trial followed 1,100 people older than 60 for 12 years. "We clearly saw that those who adhered strongly to the Mediterranean diet had significantly less beta-amyloid in their brains," says Edith Cowen University's Ralph Martins. The outcomes suggest the diet could prevent Alzheimer's altogether, especially in conjunction with exercise and adequate sleep. "Lifestyle has a huge role to play," Martins says. "I think that's why Alzheimer's drug trials keep failing — they're coming in too late when the brain is already damaged."

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is getting ready to let Medicare Advantage plan issuers add major new long-term care benefits to their supplemental benefits menus, reports Think Advisor . The Better Medicare Alliance, a Washington-based coalition for companies and groups with an interest in Medicare Advantage, has posted a copy of a memo that shows CMS is reinterpreting the phrase "primarily health related" when deciding whether a Medicare Advantage plan can cover a specific benefit. Kathryn Coleman, director of the CMS Medicare Drug & Health Plan Contract Administration Group, writes in the memo, which was sent to Medicare Advantage organizations April 27, that CMS will let a plan cover adult day care services for individuals who need help with either the basic "activities of daily living," such as walking or going to the bathroom, or with "instrumental activities of daily living," such as the ability to cook, clean, or shop.