Many seniors in Florida are working part-time freelance jobs with the likes of Uber, Postmates, and other technology services, reports the Tampa Bay Times . University of Chicago Professor Dmitri Koustas said demand for transportation services like Uber or Lyft has declined during the pandemic, but interest in delivery services like Shipt or Instacart is on the rise. He explained that workers ages 55 to 75 constitute about 27 percent of gig and contract work and 11 percent in new online platforms, according to the latest tax data. Meanwhile, a study by the JPMorgan Chase Institute found that more than 400,000 seniors held some type of part-time job on online platforms in 2017. AARP Florida Director Jeff Johnson said gig jobs appeal to baby boomers, especially retirees without pensions or savings. Their attractive qualities include flexible hours, autonomy, and a lack of ageism.

Rosemary Chatterson of Alexandria, Ontario, has been crafting a half-dozen fidget blankets by request of Maxville Manor for day-program dementia clients, reports the Review Newspaper . Fidget blankets are lap quilts that offer sensory stimulation and entertainment for dementia patients. Each quilt contains stimulating objects, and Chatterson has created more than 50 altogether. Some blankets have gone to the Glengarry Memorial Hospital's stroke rehabilitation unit, while others have been donated to local nursing communities and private individuals. "I make every one different, and I just love the process of the placements and the color combinations," Chatterson says. She has established the Hillcrest Stitchery website for any organization, hospital, nursing community, or individual who might need fidget blankets for patients or a loved one.

Volunteer students from Victor Valley College in California are bringing hope and comfort to isolated seniors at the Brookdale Senior Living community in Loma Linda by donating hand-made artwork, reports the Victor Valley News Group . Members of the college's ASEZ chapter partnered with other ASEZ members from Antelope Valley College, Cal Poly Pomona, and College of the Canyons to think up ideas for producing art for someone who might be longing to see a loved one or needing some encouragement. The members set a date to meet outdoors and create the art together, with protective equipment and appropriate supplies. On Aug. 9, the students met outside and went to work. The result was a series of art pieces ranging from fanciful and cheerful to serene and inspiring. More than 60 paintings and drawings were individually packaged and donated to Brookdale last week. "I hope that the art helps the seniors remember and know that people are thinking about them and that they are missed even though no one can visit them at this time," said one volunteer.

Surveys suggest that younger workers like millennials and Generation Zers may be more eager to return to the office than older employees, reports the Commercial Observer . Cushman & Wakefield's Future of Workplace poll indicates that about 70 percent of Gen Z and 69 percent of millennials cited challenges in working from home versus 55 percent of baby boomers. The key problem is finding space, as older workers are more likely to have dedicated residential workspace compared to younger generations — and less likely to have roommates and similar distractions. Moreover, younger workers are more likely to be caring for someone at home, such as older parents and/or younger children. "In contrast, baby boomers appear to be coping and adapting the best — reporting fewer challenges and positive workplace experiences," said Cushman & Wakefield. Meanwhile, a survey by architecture and design firm Gensler of 2,300 U.S.-based office workers at companies with at least 100 employees each made similar observations. Younger employees reported more distractions as well as less experience with working from home, complicating the maintenance of a life-work balance. Moreover, younger workers are missing out on mentoring and networking.

A four-month COVID-19 study from the Canadian Red Cross illustrated a clear need for policies and practices that better serve Canada's most vulnerable senior population, reports Globe Newswire . The Leger-conducted investigation monitored the pandemic's social and psychological effects on more than 2,000 Canadians 18 and older. Almost a third of vulnerable seniors consistently reported feeling that they lack people they could count on and could not get immediate aid if needed. Over 30 percent said they feel lonely frequently or every day, while just 57 percent reported positive feelings about themselves, and only half felt hopeful about the future. Moreover, vulnerable seniors were the only respondents to exhibit greater anxiety, restlessness, or unease in the three days prior to the survey. According to Canadian Red Cross Medical and Science Adviser Paul Hebert, the key finding is that institutional and social support systems must better serve vulnerable seniors in their homes during a pandemic.

A new study published in Pain suggests that how people perceive their pain can affect whether they get enough physical exercise or spend more time sedentary, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers determined when people with knee osteoarthritis "catastrophized" — felt exaggerated helplessness or hopelessness — about their pain more than typically, they were less likely to exercise later in the day, which cascaded into sedentary behavior followed by even more pain catastrophizing. "The detrimental influence of catastrophizing thinking about pain is independent of the pain experience itself," said Pennsylvania State University Professor Ruixue Zhaoyang. "In other words, how patients think about their pain, rather than the level of experienced pain, had a more powerful impact on their daily physical activity." The implication is that pain catastrophizing could be a critical therapeutic target for interventions and pain management. "Reducing daily pain catastrophizing may help older patients to be more active and less sedentary on a daily basis," said Zhaoyang. "This could help improve their chronic pain condition, physical function, and overall health, and reduce the possibility of hospitalization, institutionalization, and healthcare costs in the long term."

A study in the Journal of Pediatrics found children infected with COVID-19 — even those with mild or no symptoms — can have a significantly higher level of the pathogen in their airways than adult patients in intensive care, which can boost the risk of transmitting the virus to others, reports K5 News . "We should not discount children as potential spreaders for this virus," said Massachusetts General Hospital's (MGH) Alessio Fasano. The researchers looked at 192 children and young adults ranging in age from zero to 22. Forty-nine subjects were positive for COVID-19 and 18 others had late-onset illnesses related to the virus. Data indicates that even though young children have fewer immune receptors than older children and adults, they can still carry a high viral load, and can be more contagious irrespective of their susceptibility to developing COVID-19. "You think of a hospital, and of all of the precautions taken to treat severely ill adults, but the viral loads of these hospitalized patients are significantly lower than a 'healthy child' who is walking around with a high SARS-CoV-2 viral load," said MGH's Lael Yonker. The authors recommend that schools highlight universal mask use, social distancing, hand washing, and a mix of remote and in-person learning, as well as routine screening of students for the virus.

Assisted living provider Hearth Management is combating COVID-19 by using organic hypochlorous acid to kill bacteria, stop viruses from spreading, and keep its buildings clean, reports LifePulseHealth . "It's what our white blood cells produce in response to infections," said Hearth's Jonathan Barbieri. "It's a key part of our immune systems, and . . . it made perfect sense for us to start incorporating it into our cleaning standards." Each Hearth community has a generator that uses electricity to change the chemical composition of salt and water to produce a hypochlorous acid-based disinfectant that is as effective as bleach, without harmful chemicals, fumes, or residues. Using the generators' cleaning solutions regularly is part of Hearth's Total Coverage 360 sanitization standards, which require all common areas to be sprayed at least twice daily. "When COVID-19 first hit, we knew we had to spring into action to get these generators into each of our buildings," recalled Barbieri. "Overall, we've been very successful in terms of keeping the virus at bay, and there's no doubt in my mind this technology has something to do with it.""

An Experian report estimated that baby boomers carried an average of 4.8 credit cards in the second quarter of 2019, more than any other generation, according to the Daily Progress . Yet several factors may add to seniors' difficulty in securing approval for credit cards. For example, retirees who are living on less income could have less chances of approval — although they can rely on more income than just a traditional salary, when Social Security benefits, income from investments and retirement, and dividends and interest come into play. Credit scores also could affect an older adult's chances of getting credit card approval, as being debt-free may not be enough to rate a score that eases approval. Equifax said 91.5 million consumers in the United States either have no credit file or have insufficient information in their files to generate a traditional credit score. Moreover, having only credit card accounts in a credit file but no installment accounts like mortgages or car loans can be counted against approval, since credit scoring models like to see a mix of credit. Seniors can improve their chances of being approved for credit cards by checking their credit reports, becoming authorized users, building credit with a secured credit card, mulling a credit-building installment loan, and keeping long-held accounts open.

Residents at two Via Elegante Assisted Living communities in Tucson, Ariz., recently fixed sack lunches to donate to the homeless, reports the Arizona Daily Star . They prepared 60 lunch bags in all that were distributed by staff, some residents, and members of the Loving Church in compliance with health and safety precautions. The residents also made origami butterflies and hearts containing thoughtful messages that were attached to home-made cards in the sack lunches. "This project was put together to help build a greater sense of community and connection," said Via Elegante Activities Director Carolina Carrillo. "While participating in this project, our residents have become more active, engaged, and encouraged by serving others in greater need."