Elder Care Cafe

Many young people raise their eyebrows or make faces when they hear that their single or widowed parents or grandparents are dating. They can’t conceive of anyone over a certain age behaving in such a manner. But, older single and widowed men and women have the same social needs as those who are much younger. In fact, their needs may be much greater.

Seniors are people who enjoy and need companionship to keep them alert and active. No one wants to live alone in a world where everyone is busy with their own lives and no one has time for an older person. Stepping out into the dating scene to find not necessarily romance but good friendship, warmth and companionship is not a bad idea.

As with most things in life one needs to exercise caution and practice safety measures even when dating.

Unfortunately we live in a world where bad people prey on the aged and the weak. It is more important than ever for anyone who enters their social scene of choice to exercise caution when they first start dating.  They need to be conscious of:

• Where they go,
• What they eat,
• What they drink,
• How late they stay out
• How interested the person is in their money and possessions.

While the dating scene can be a major safety hazard for seniors, one can always turn this around by taking precautions and making sure that they are always in control of the situation. The main danger in dating for seniors is the risk of someone chasing after their money rather than after them!

Here are a couple of public places where they can meet new people:

• A public park,
• A popular coffee shop
• The local library during special events
• A local museum
• Social outings through the local senior center
• Senior trips
• Sporting events
• Group get together at a friend’s home or a local restaurant

No matter how old they are, it is best to date only one person at a time. They need to take their time to get to know the other person before making any major decisions about their future. Family members need to make sure they meet the person and make sure their loved one is not being taken advantage of.

That said, they also need to give their loved one space to enjoy their new relationships. No matter how old a person is, they have the right and the need to meet new people and continue to grow in the area of socialization.

Online dating

If they are more into internet dating they should not under any circumstances give out personal information like their address or phone number. Doing so is an open invitation to being taken for a ride or worse!

Family members can “child proof” their aging loved one’s computer so that they cannot access certain websites. Without being controlling, they should also at least be aware of what their loved one is involved in online.

Get the other person to open up and talk about themselves. Anyone who is cagey and refuses to divulge much information about them should be avoided.

Seniors choose to date for the simple reason they want to feel alive again. The deep need to live again hits all of us at some point if alone in life. There is nothing wrong with feeling this way provided they stay well in control of themself, their emotions and their checkbook!