A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggests newer hepatitis C medications known as interferon-free direct-acting antivirals are safe and more effective for older adults than for younger adults, reports ScienceDaily . The cohort included 1,151 people living with hepatitis C, with over 630 younger than 65, and 516 who were 65 or older. The older adults exhibited more severe liver disease, along with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and chronic kidney disease, versus the younger adults. However, the treatments yielded greater cure rates for older subjects. The researchers recommended that older adults should be treated with interferon-free direct-acting antivirals as soon as possible, since hepatitis C causes liver damage as people age. Participant age did not appear to impact the treatment's effectiveness, although many older participants were on other medications at the same time.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) works with unemployed seniors to find meaningful employment and satisfaction for them in their communities, reports the Martinsburg Journal . SCSEP Director Stacey Heavner described the initiative as "a short-term, work-training program to prepare participants for unsubsidized employment off of the program." She explains that SCSEP applicants must be American citizens, 55 years or older, and with an income at or below 125 percent of federal poverty guidelines. Program participants receive a minimum wage for a minimum of 15 hours a week, as well as on-the-job training to update or gain new skills. "The early emphasis of the national program was to supplement participants' incomes," Heavner said. "Currently, there is a dual focus on unsubsidized employment and community service."

U.S. seniors are increasingly returning to college by joining university-based retirement communities (UBRCs), reports the Wall Street Journal . It costs a lot to enroll, but seniors enjoy many benefits, especially interacting with students, which some residents say helps keep them feeling youthful. To join a UBRC, applicants usually must have at least one spouse who meets the minimum age requirement, which is often somewhere between 55 and 65. Living arrangements are typically one-, two-, or three-bedroom apartments and often feature a continuum of care, in which seniors who begin living independently can change to assisted living or skilled nursing care if necessary. Much of the high admission costs is meant to cover future use of on-premises assisted living or skilled nursing care, and frequently as much as 90 percent can be refunded if a resident moves out or dies without using the funds for medical care. Georgetown University's Andrew Carle cautions many so-called UBRCs do not meet the ideal criteria, which should include being located within about a mile of the main campus; a defined program for interaction with students; a continuum of care; a written relationship between the university and the community; and inclusion of alumni, retired faculty, and staff.

A study in Neurology suggests education and socioeconomic position may have less to bear on thinking skills and memory over time, reports Medical News Today . The investigators compared thinking and memory tests in people at eight years old and 70 years old. "If we can understand what influences an individual's cognitive performance in later life, we can determine which aspects might be modifiable by education or lifestyle changes like exercise, diet, or sleep, which may, in turn, slow the development of cognitive decline," said University College London's Jonathan M. Schott. The researchers considered sex, childhood ability, education, and socioeconomic status, and the ability to think as a child correlated with the scores subjects achieved more than 60 years later. Those who performed in the top 25 percent as children were likely to hold their position in that segment at 70 years old — and women outperformed men in terms of thinking speed and tests of memory. Meanwhile, people with college degrees scored roughly 16 percent higher than those who had left school before age 16. Higher socioeconomic status did not significantly affect cognitive performance. Medical imaging revealed that participants with beta-amyloid plaques in the brain scored lower on tests, but the researchers saw no connection between plaques and childhood cognitive ability, socioeconomic status, education, or sex.

An Australian study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found no link between cholesterol-lowering statin drugs and impaired brain health, and may even improve memory and mental function in people at risk of dementia, reports U.S. News & World Report . The researchers gathered data on more than 1,000 people aged 70 to 90, of whom about 600 took statins and had done so for an average of nine years. All subjects had their memory and cognitive skills tested at the beginning of the study, with no difference observed between statin users and nonusers. Some participants also underwent magnetic resonance imaging scans, which showed no significant difference in brain volume among statin users and nonusers over two years. Moreover, no significant difference between memory and mental ability was seen among those who did and did not take statins at six years; still, statins were linked to a slower rate of memory loss in 99 people who started taking the drugs during the study. A cohort that used statins to protect against heart attacks also exhibited a slower rate of decline in memory, compared to nonusers. Statin use also slowed mental decline in persons with heart disease, diabetes, or other risk factors for dementia, compared to nonusers with the same conditions. Statin users with the APOE-4 gene mutation, which puts them at high risk for Alzheimer's, seemed to have a significantly slower rate of mental decline; however, users without heart disease who took statins had a similar rate of memory decline to nonusers.

The Edward Jones financial-services firm announced it has contributed $22 million to fight Alzheimer's disease in the first four years of its commitment with the Alzheimer's Association, reports PRNewswire . The company said it owed this record contribution to the generous support of its associates, clients, and communities. Edward Jones also renewed its pledge to the cause with new, expanded programs heading into next year. More than 64,000 associates, clients, friends, and families participated on Edward Jones teams at over 600 Alzheimer's walks held nationwide each year over the last four years. In this year alone, the firm reported roughly 19,000 walk participants and raised more than $3.35 million. Edward Jones estimated that 150,000 of its clients are living with Alzheimer's, and it is training its financial advisers to spot the early warning signs of the disease by making the Alzheimer's Association's "10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's" online education program available to Edward Jones associates. Next year, Edward Jones financial advisers and Alzheimer's Association experts will host collaborative seminars for clients and communities to encourage dialogue about protecting health and wealth when facing a long-term illness.

Stanford University graduates have created an app that matches seniors with student companions, reports Fox 8 Cleveland . The Mon Ami app pairs students with like-minded seniors, paying the students an hourly rate of $25 to visit. "We have students who say DoorDash, Uber, are not really for me — what I really want is to do something meaningful with my time," says Mon Ami co-founder Joy Zhang. The company claims they get to know their seniors and students, then pair them based on shared interests, personalities, backgrounds, and schedules. These matched pairs have visited museums together, gone out for lunch, painted, and more. Safety is a priority for Mon Ami users, so every student companion undergoes a thorough application process, interview, and criminal background check.

Workers in their 50s, 60s, and 70s, although outnumbered in the workforce by millennials, are the only group whose labor-force participation rates are growing, reports the Wall Street Journal . However, they are the least visible employees in offices, retail outlets, and other workplaces, because many conceal their ages. Concerned about being avoided or rejected by younger managers and co-workers, older employees often go to drastic lengths to try to appear younger. This internalized ageism is rampant, with many baby boomers fearing being called "old" and worrying it will undermine their ability to be accepted and compete in professions where youth is prized. Older people worry of being stereotyped as unable to learn new things or understand technology, or to be considered slow, old-fashioned, too costly, and likely to become ill — and subsequently denied promotions and raises, or laid off. This is likely to change as the labor pool gets older and employers increasingly need to use older employees. About 27 percent of 65- to 74-year-olds had full- or part-time jobs in 2016, and by 2026 30 percent are expected to be working, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2030, Americans who are 65 and older will outnumber those 18 and younger.

Author Kerry Hannon writes that the future workplace must be redesigned to have a place for older employees, reports MarketWatch . She cites a Mercer report which noted that organizations that actively leverage their older, seasoned workforce will be optimally positioned. According to the report, longer life expectancies have led to longer, less predictable careers for workers, yet employers often are unable or unwilling to take advantage of this trend. Mercer analysts hypothesize that employers are stuck in the idea that people want to retire in their early 60s and have the income, and also may wrongly expect plenty of younger workers will be available to fill the void. Mercer offers 10 tips that employers can follow to make their workplaces age-ready. These include "initiate conversations with experienced employees about how they might work differently. Examine and tackle how ageism might manifest in your organization — analyzing pay, bonuses, performance, promotion, and recruitment statistics through a lens focused on aging. Develop a lifelong learning attitude that positions people to embrace jobs of the future. Implement an effective flexible-working strategy."