Romance After Retirement

February is the month for romance. And contrary to popular belief, Cupid doesn't just visit the young. Intimate relationships among seniors are common and can lead to healthier and even longer lives for older adults who are lucky in love.

You Never Grow Out Of The Need For Human Contact

Companionship is a basic human need. Regardless of age, there's always a desire for personal attention, warmth, and closeness. Getting older may change how people can act on these feelings, but the emotional need remains. What surprises many people is that romance during old age doesn't necessarily equate to purely platonic relationships. On the contrary, sexual intimacy among seniors is an integral part of life for a growing number of older Americans.

According to the Gerontological Society of America, sexually active Americans aged 57 to 85 have sex as often as those aged 18 to 59. Not surprisingly, a better love life also equates to more happiness in general for seniors. A survey from the National Science Foundation found a strong correlation between sexual activity among married seniors and greater happiness in both their lives and their marriages.

Seniors Seeking Romance Face Unique Challenges

Establishing and navigating romantic relationships can present unique challenges for seniors seeking companionship or intimacy. Physical changes with age may redefine what each partner can expect of the other. Adult children may be uncomfortable with a parent entering a relationship with a new partner. For older women, finding a partner can be problematic since some, on average, live eight years longer than men. That reduces the pool of available men to the point where there is an average of seven women for each man in a typical assisted living community.

Friends With Healthy Benefits

Those seniors fortunate enough to find regular companionship are likely to be healthier. There are clear physical advantages to an intimate relationship, such as the moderate exercise that comes with sexual activity and the release of endorphins and other hormones that relieve stress, reduce pain, and promote well-being. But even a nonsexual relationship can aid in easing loneliness, which has been associated with health problems like depression, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Loneliness and isolation can also lead to unhealthy habits such as overheating and avoiding exercise.

Birds Do It.  Bees Do It.  Even Retirees Do It.

To summarize, romance among older adults is not only familiar, it's also healthy. Especially when seniors get the nutritious diet and regular exercise they need to keep their strength up for that Valentine's dance --- or whatever activity keeps them happy and connected to their favorite companion.

References:

Finding Senior Living for Elderly Couples

Are Seniors Enjoying Sex More Than The Rest Of Us?

Ageless Love

Senior Romance