We are all living longer due to advances in our diet, medical research and our lifestyles. Our financial circumstances have improved. We are less likely to be living with our kids or grandkids. Sometimes through death or divorce, we can end up facing our senior moments alone. Some people relish the freedom this can bring but others are lonely and would love to enjoy a committed relationship.

It is fairly difficult to meet someone special when you are in your twenties and thirties. Don’t believe me? Just have a glance at the book titles on the best seller lists. You will see books on finding and keeping the man/woman for you, the golden rules of dating, meeting the perfect man/woman etc.
It can often be more difficult for older people to meet potential partners. You are very unlikely to go to the local disco. You may find going into a restaurant or bar on your own intimidating and you are probably retired so meeting someone at work is not an option.

By joining a senior dating service, you can meet likeminded individuals of a certain age, economic status and marital status. For example, you may prefer not to date a divorced man. Or you may prefer that your potential partner has been in a committed relationship previously. You may want the other person to share your religious or cultural beliefs. An online dating service will help you to meet someone who fulfils this “shopping list” of requirements.

When you join an online service, you need to remember that your personal safety is paramount. There is no reason to become alarmed as the majority of members on these sites are there for the same reason as you are i.e. to meet a companion. Exercise common sense and caution when dealing with anyone you don’t know regardless of how friendly they seem. If you arrange to meet a prospective partner, always do so in a public place and give a friend or family member the details. Never disclose too much information about yourself particularly your home address or your financial details until you have met the other person and have formed the basis of a relationship. You wouldn’t walk into a bar and start telling another customer that you have $100,000 in your bank account. Friendships which start online can become very intense very quickly. It is partly because we lose our inhibitions and can be ourselves without worrying about what we look like or how tall we are etc. But you do not know someone until you have met them and their family/friends.

Senior online dating services work – you only need to ask some of their satisfied customers. Try them out today as your Mr/Mrs right may be online now.

Well there are a lot of reasons.

Culturally, we have been moving away from the family unit and therefore you are less likely to know your neighbours than in times gone by. This means that it can be rather difficult to find potential partners particularly in the older age group.

A lot of older people are more reserved and thus not likely to hang around pubs and clubs looking for a partner. The usual venues open to younger singles looking for a date aren’t always an option.

Some people cannot face putting up a personal ad in the newspaper. Contrary to popular opinion, this can be a great way to meet people but it is not suitable for everyone.

You could join a dining club. The idea is that instead of meeting just one person for dinner which can be daunting, you meet a group of people for dinner and a chat. Usually dining clubs would be arranged based loosely on age and you can expect to pay upwards of twice the cost of the meal. They can be an excellent introduction to a new crowd of people but often the organisers complain that they never have enough men.

You could head to Lisdoonvarna in Ireland. Every year they hold a huge singles event. People of all nationalities, sexual orientation and age descend on the area for the weekend. Possibly not the best place to meet your life partner but you should enjoy a great holiday.

If you don’t fancy the above ideas, dating sites give you the opportunity to meet people of your own generation who share similar likes and interests. You cannot rely on your natural charm and good looks to get you a date, so most serious online daters learn how to court in the old fashioned sense of the word. They know that they need to communicate properly – think of emails being the modern version of the courtship letters of bygone days.

The internet is anonymous – this allows people to be themselves. This is a good and a bad thing. The positive side is that people can show their real selves, communicate properly for perhaps the first time and ask for what they really want. The negative fact is that some people will use whatever medium available to publish their vile beliefs or to con people out of money, property etc.

Look at the quality of the dating site you join. Some sites have put a lot of work and thought into their questionnaires. If you complete these accurately, they really do help you find the right partner.

A dating site for seniors might be just the key you need to unlock a new, lively social life. Just the thing to keep you busy in your retirement!

Online senior dating sites:

There is a perception that people of a certain age are scared of technology but the evidence suggests otherwise. People are realising that in order to stay on top of things, they need to learn new skills. For those that have retired, they have ample time and opportunity to see what the internet has to offer them. Whilst they may not listen to the latest Itune, they could be using kindle to hear their favourite authors new book.

So how does a senior online dating service work? They usually require a fee of some sort – some are more expensive than others. In return, you can register your details and a photograph. You can browse through the site looking for potential matches based on the criteria you have entered i.e. Male or female, age range, financial status, marital status etc.

Sometimes the people who join these sites are not looking for long term romantic attachments, just some new friends of both sexes. Given their age, they may be restricted by immobility or illness and look online to find friends to correspond with. Long lasting friendships start every day by email much in the same way that people long ago used to enjoy with their pen pals.

But online dating isn’t for everyone so what else can you find on the senior dating circuit.

2) Senior Speed Dating

The idea of this made me laugh out loud. Come on – when was the last time you associated speed with senior?

What exactly is speed dating? A group of people gather in a room and the organiser asks roughly half the group to take their seats at tables designed for two. The other half of the group rotates their way around the tables.

You sit and chat and when the bell rings, you move onto the next table. Everyone has to move on, no lingering even if she is your ideal mate. You have a piece of paper on which you make a note whether you would be interested in seeing that person again. At the end of the evening, the organiser collects the notes and contacts everyone advising them who their matches were. Only those names on your yes list that said yes to you, will be given to you.

This is quite a pleasurable way to spend an evening if you are young at heart although I think they should change the name. Speed just doesn’t come into it at our age!

These are only two of the more unusual dating services for seniors. Which one would you try and why?