The Hill reports that employed Americans 55 and older who have lost their jobs may find it difficult to secure another position due to their physical vulnerabilities, age, and perceived lack of technological familiarity, according to experts. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics of all working adults older than 55 determined that 5.4 percent are unemployed. Meanwhile, almost 11 percent of people ages 20 to 24 are unemployed, 6 percent of people 45 to 55 are unemployed, and 5.8 percent of people 35 to 44 are jobless — but older people's economic security could be temporary. As COVID-19 cases rise nationally, companies must face difficult questions about whether it is safe to return to work for all employees and how in-person work will be impacted moving forward. "All the data are showing that the numbers are going back up, the vulnerability has increased across the board for everyone," said AARP's Susan Weinstock. She highlighted the concern that companies will not hire back older people who lost their jobs because they are at high risk for contracting COVID-19.

The United Kingdom became the first Western nation to grant emergency-use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine, reports the New York Times , clearing a shot developed by Pfizer and BioNTech SE to be distributed in limited numbers within days. The two-shot vaccine is also being reviewed by FDA in the United States, where a similar authorization could come later this month and a rollout before the end of the year. The decision has stirred up a global debate about how to weigh the desperate need for a vaccine with the imperative of assuring people that it is safe. "Help is on its way with this vaccine — and we can now say that with certainty, rather than with all the caveats," the British health secretary, Matt Hancock, stated early Wednesday. The vaccine must be transported at South Pole-like temperatures, a requirement that could dictate who will be vaccinated first in Britain. Nursing community residents were supposed to be the top priority under an advisory committee's plans, but efforts to limit transportation of the vaccine and ensure it remains cold may mean that National Health Service staff will receive the shots first. The government said on Wednesday that 800,000 doses would be available by next week.

News-Medical reports that the Alzheimer's Association, the Global Brain Health Institute, and the Alzheimer's Society have partnered to fund 23 small-scale pilot projects as part of this year's Pilot Awards for Global Brain Health Leaders — in order to address the worldwide dementia crisis. Among the challenges the pilots will target are access to care, stigma, and brain health risk factors. With the pandemic demanding a rethink of service delivery, the Pilot Awards program offers virgin territory for innovation. Several projects concentrate on arts and dementia care, including a music program for older adults, a virtual program that engages participants in fine arts or performance arts, and an interactive radio program showcasing older voices. Another area of focus is flexible, low-cost, and scalable delivery of services to diverse populations, including in Latin America. Projects include analysis of digital technology to support cognitive assessment and dementia diagnosis in Cuba, the creation of a clinical and research network in Peru, and development of a book to guide communication skills for caregivers in Brazil. The projects will receive a cumulative allocation of approximately $575,000, including roughly $25,000 for each individual award, to enable recipients to pilot test a project and then, if successful, seek further resources to add scalability.

NewsChannel 9 reports that a national program hosted by Goodwill is helping seniors in the Chattanooga, Tenn., area help other seniors combat loneliness during the pandemic. Goodwill initiated the Village Connector Experience via their Senior Community Service Employment Program. All program participants must by 55 or older to qualify. Bradley County senior LaVone Holden says seniors are not allowed to go out and do the things they normally would during a pandemic, and she wanted to make a difference. Through the program, Holden is assigned about 12 people each week, who she calls several times weekly. "We call them encourage them and see if there's something we can do to make their life a lot better, that they don't feel so isolated and that there's people who cares," she explains. Chattanooga Goodwill Industries Chief Operating Officer Jim Stailey says he hopes the program continues past the pandemic.

The New York Times reports that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that residents and employees of nursing communities and similar care settings be among the first people in the United States to receive coronavirus vaccines, as well as healthcare workers at particular risk of exposure. CDC Director Robert R. Redfield is expected to decide by Wednesday whether to accept the recommendations as the agency's formal guidance to states. States are not mandated to comply with the panel's recommendations, but they typically do. State governors, who are consulting with their top health officials as they complete distribution plans, will make the final decision. The committee said these interim recommendations could change as more is learned about how well vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna perform in different age groups, and how well the manufacturers keep up with demand. About 3 million residents in long-term care and their caregivers are a relatively obvious target, as a New York Times analysis estimated that 39 percent of deaths from the coronavirus have occurred in such communities. Most panel members who offered opinions on the vote agreed that the high death rate among long-term care community residents made their inclusion imperative.

Devdiscourse reports that a study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) published in BMC Medicine associated strong sleeping pills known as "Z-drugs" (zopiclone, zaleplon, and zolpidem) with a higher risk of falls, fractures, and stroke among people with dementia. The team analyzed data from 27,090 patients in England diagnosed with dementia between January 2000 and March 2016, average age 83, while 62 percent were women. They considered the adverse events for 3,532 subjects who had been prescribed Z-drugs and compared them to people suffering sleep disturbance who had not been prescribed sedatives, and those prescribed benzodiazepines. Stronger doses of Z-drugs were connected to an increased risk of adverse effects, and those effects were similar or greater than those for higher dose benzodiazepines. The researchers recommended that patients already on higher doses of Z-drugs should not discontinue them suddenly, but should seek a review with their doctor.

The Wall Street Journal reports that New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi on Tuesday advised older residents and people with underlying health conditions to avoid nonessential activities outside their homes amid a spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations. City health officials recommended that at-risk New Yorkers should restrict their interaction with other people, while those living with or caring for vulnerable residents also should reduce nonessential activities outside the home. According to Chokshi, the latest data estimated that COVID-19 hospitalizations in the city topped 1,100, more than double the numbers less than three weeks ago. "This escalation unfortunately follows a tragically familiar pattern — cases grow, hospitalizations follow, and sadly too many result in critical illness or even death," he explained. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he agreed with New York City's recommendations for vulnerable residents, while Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that tougher restrictions could be imposed this week if cases continue to surge.

Erie News Now reports that Home Instead Senior Care is again holding its "Be a Santa to a Senior" initiative to uplift seniors in the Erie, Pa., area this holiday season, especially those adjusting to the pandemic. Home Instead has teamed up with Amazon Business to provide a contact-free gift-giving experience for volunteers and recipients. "We've all felt isolated at some point during the pandemic, but seniors are especially at risk of feeling isolated and a simple gift can show them that we are thinking of them," said Erie Home Instead office owner Dianne Cunningham. "And that's more important this year than ever." This year's initiative involves partnerships with Methodist Towers, the Barber National Institute, Lakeside Senior Center, Richford Arms, H.A.N.D.S., and St. Joseph Apartments. People can participate by visiting a Be a Santa to a Senior tree displayed at one of several area locations. The trees feature ornaments with the seniors' first names and gift suggestions. Participants will pick an ornament, purchase the requested gift, and return it unwrapped to the store with the ornament attached.

A new study in JAMA Internal Medicine found Medicare beneficiaries who receive a dementia diagnosis are more likely to miss payments on bills as early as six years before diagnosis, reports ScienceDaily . Those diagnosed with dementia who had a lower educational status also missed payments on bills starting as early as seven years before diagnosis versus 2.5 years prior to a diagnosis for beneficiaries with more education. These missed payments and other adverse financial outcomes further elevate the risk of developing subprime credit scores. The heightened risk of payment delinquency with dementia constituted 5.2 percent of delinquencies among those six years before diagnosis, reaching a maximum of 17.9 percent nine months post-diagnosis. Rates of elevated payment delinquency and subprime credit risk lingered for up to 3.5 years after beneficiaries received diagnoses, suggesting a continuing need for assistance managing money. "Earlier screening and detection, combined with information about the risk of irreversible financial events, like foreclosure and repossession, are important to protect the financial well-being of the patient and their families," said Professor Lauren Hersch Nicholas with the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Our study is the first to provide large-scale quantitative evidence of the medical adage that the first place to look for dementia is in the checkbook."

The Associated Press reports that a company has begun to sell the first blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease, which has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. C2N Diagnostics' test is not intended for general screening or for asymptomatic people, but for those 60 and older who are having thinking problems and are being assessed for Alzheimer's. The test is not covered by insurance or Medicare, and costs $1,250 with offers discounts determined by income. The procedure measures two types of amyloid particles plus various forms of a protein that indicate whether someone carries a gene that raises the risk for Alzheimer's. These factors are integrated in a formula that includes age, and subjects receive a score suggesting low, medium, or high likelihood of amyloid accumulation in the brain. C2N has not published data on the test's accuracy, although promotional materials cite results comparing it to positron emission tomography (PET) brain scans in 686 people, 60 to 91 years old, with cognitive impairment or dementia. C2N CEO Joel Braunstein said if a PET scan revealed amyloid buildup, the blood test also gave a high likelihood of that in 92 percent of cases and overlooked 8 percent of them. If the scan was negative, the test ruled out amyloid buildup 77 percent of the time — but while the other 23 percent got a positive result, that does not necessarily indicate that the blood test was incorrect.