You might be at that point in your life where you want to have a companion in your life, and a former partner may have filled this role, and losing these people in your life can be heartbreaking.
For you to be happy in your golden years and perhaps find some new experiences, you want to put yourself out there, as the young ones call it, and make a new connection.
This can be difficult for anyone at this age, and we’re here to tell you it doesn’t have to be like this, and you can meet someone new. Below we go over some advice when looking into dating so that you can have positive and rewarding experiences.
Things To Consider When Dating For Seniors
You might just be looking for a companion who can share their time with you, or you are pretty active and want someone to go for walks with or just have a good time with, and while we’ll get to ways to meet new people, it’s a good idea to consider some things.
What Do You Want From A Relationship?
You don’t have to have an instant answer, but you can typically gauge at some point whether the person you meet is worth your time and effort, as this is valuable to you, and you don’t want to waste your time with people who want other things.
So you may want to have an intimate relationship with someone, but you’re not sure if they are right for you, and it can be as simple as sharing how you feel about the relationship once you get to know that person better.
Age Is Just A Number
As an older person, you have more flexibility over people who are younger or older than you are, so looking above your age might be limiting, and wisdom will tell you if you think you can keep up with a younger partner. Still, they might share the same interests as you.
Be sure to check your age range on your dating profile to 60 plus (see also “Can You Get Married After 60?“), and you may find people who live life at your pace, and being so open-minded at this stage means you get a good idea of what that person might be like to spend your time with, so be open to different things.
Learn From Your Past Relationships
With age comes wisdom, as we have said, so if you have unfortunately lost your partner or have separated, you can use this time to ask yourself what you value most from a relationship, as you’re never too old to do some reminiscing.
Ask yourself the things you liked about your last relationships to get a picture of the sort of partner you want next, as you’re allowed to find a partner who fits with you well regardless of age, as it’s you who ultimately gets to choose who you next meet with.
Senior Online Dating, Yes Or No?
This has been argued by many people over the years, and the only way you can know if it works for you is to try it out, so to get started, you can ask a family member if they could help you make a profile and set your preferences.
You can get more clarity of how someone is by their profile, and while older folk aren’t as picky with looks as younger people are, there is a chance you can find how kind and fun they are by their profile, and perhaps you can strike up a conversation and learn more about each other.
However, you should be aware that there are people on these sites that you match with who may only want a fling, one-night stand, or simply to make a new friend, and you should be aware of younger people who could be untrustworthy and may try to take advantage of you.
So you probably wonder if these services are good for you, and yes, they can work for you, but it all depends on whether the service is optimized for your age range and it gives you some suitable matches, as you can still flirt and have fun in your golden years.
Meeting People In The Real World
This might sound even scarier than going online, but perhaps there is an activity like gardening or a club that you frequent with other people who share the same interests as you.
If you have access to this, it can be easy to dip your feet into some sort of relationship and build from there, and perhaps you could find the partner of your dreams.
If you’re wondering how you could meet someone new or even make new friends, there are many things you could do, such as:
- Volunteering
- Taking a senior fitness class or walking trip
- Join a senior meet-up group
- Take some education classes
- If you’re part of a church, perhaps there are activities you can get involved with.
How To Improve Your Chances Of Meeting Someone New
You’ve been out of the dating game for a while, and even though there’s nothing wrong with this, there are people you may come across who can give off signals that can tell you perhaps it’s best if you move on.
This can also help you to determine if the person you are talking to is real or not, as many scammers may try to impersonate older people on sites to obtain funds or card information, so below are a few signs you should look out for.
- If they ask you for any personal information like your address, maiden name, or obscure details that could be identifiable to you.
- If they tell you a story like they have no money to pay for a family member or themselves to receive medical treatment, they may try to gain your sympathy and run with your money.
- If, after a while of speaking, they refuse to meet virtually or over the phone.
- If the person goes silent for days and is inconsistent with communication, and here your intuition will come to good use.
- If they can’t prove where they live or who they are, and if you ever feel doubtful about the person at any time, seek help to see if you can get insight from someone who may be more knowledgeable in this area.
Closing Thoughts
One great trick you can use is Facebook, so if you are given a name, you can check for an online footprint to see if they are genuine, and if they are, they won’t mind you checking this as it’s likely they’re looking for something similar to you.
There are many ways you can meet new people at your age, and while it may seem daunting at first, it can bring you some real connections that may turn out to be something more special.
It’s very true when they say you can never be too old to find love, as you can have new experiences you never thought possible.
Perhaps this is why, when I was thrown into the adult dating pool, I was completely underwhelmed. Everyone was either looking for hookups or professing love only to ghost me a few weeks later.
After a few years on the apps (much too long), I gave up. I deleted the apps and pondered getting a cat.
That’s when I met my now-husband, Tom.
Tom and I have now been together for four years and our combined experience gave me the idea to start this website, looking into all things love-related.
I would have loved a website like this in my 20s, to let me know that I wasn’t alone in the sea of terrible dates. So, I hope that my painful experiences and advice bring you some comfort, and maybe even laughter.
Remember that there is someone out there for you - you just have to struggle through the time-wasters to find them.
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