Blog Profiles: Senior Blogs, Part 1

Welcome to Blog Profiles! Each week, we select a topic and handful of blogs that do a great job contributing to the conversation. We’re celebrating some standout senior blogs this week. Do you have a blog that deserves recognition? Tweet our writers at @BeyondBylines.

World Senior Citizen’s Day took place on August 21 and I thought this would be a great time to recognize a few standout blogs written by and for seniors.

Many seniors have been socially distancing from their families for months, so I wanted to find blogs that can help them feel a sense of connection with others. During the pandemic, AARP.org saw an all-time record for traffic when it received nearly 29 million visitors in May. So it’s clear that this audience is online and reading content that relates to their experiences.

These blogs provide valuable content in a variety of areas including health, travel, finance, fashion, dating, and more.

I found so many great blogs that I couldn’t narrow it down to just one post, so keep an eye out for Part 2.

1. Sixty and Me

Sixty and Me, founded by Margaret Manning, is a well-rounded lifestyle blog for senior women that boasts a community of 500,000 women.

Categories cover everything from health to travel, money, dating, and fashion. Some of the more unique topics that caught my eye include solo travel, encore careers, and reinvention. The site is updated regularly with new posts, so readers are never at a loss for content.

A daily newsletter also is available to keep readers updated on the latest posts. And if you prefer videos, Manning regularly posts helpful videos on the Sixty and Me YouTube channel.

7 Techniques for Fostering Self-Awareness in Your 60s; 5 Tips for Skip-Gen Travel in the Age of COVID-19; and My “Believe Beauty” Affordable Makeup for Older Women Tutorial Will Cheer You Up! are great posts.

Follow @sixtyandme on Facebook.

2. Senior Planet

Senior Planet is a great site that works to educate seniors to get comfortable with and utilize technology (gadgets, apps, websites, etc.). As the site explains, “Our courses, programs, and activities help seniors learn new skills, save money, get in shape, and make new friends.”

In addition to the newsletters, online courses, and in-person trainings, Senior Planet also has a great collection of the latest news on its website. Posts range from personal stories to book club meet-ups, relationship advice, and more.

Here are a few helpful posts: Where’s Your Retirement Emergency Fund?; Virtual Grandparenting: Three Views; and Coronavirus Scams.

Follow @seniorplanet on Facebook.

Credit: @senior.planet on Instagram

3. The Senior Nomads

Debbie and Michael Campbell set off to explore the world in 2013 as they were approaching retirement. Their goal was to stay in vacation home rentals, not hotel rooms, to live like locals in each destination.

Since then, they’ve seen more than 300 cities in 85 countries. Although many of us aren’t traveling quite yet, it’s fun to read along to learn about their travels and plan your own future adventures.

The site has a great list of rentals the couple has stayed in, in case you’d like to follow in their footsteps. And the Campbells are great about responding to comments on their posts, which I love.

I enjoyed reading 7 Lessons from 7 Years of Travel; Hermosa Beach Haven; and Scenic Byways & Campaign Highways.

Follow @seniornomads on Instagram.

Credit: @seniornomads on Instagram

4. AARP | Bulletin

No list of blogs for seniors would be complete without one from AARP, right? The Bulletin blog keeps followers updated on the latest headlines and how they relate to and could impact seniors.

The blog is updated regularly and also includes a nice selection of video posts, if that’s more your speed. Some of the recent videos include conversations with CNN Chief Health Correspondent Sanjay Gupta, Superbowl Champion Joe Namath, and ‘Cocoon’ Writer David Saperstein.

Each article also includes a link to a Spanish version, ensuring the news is accessible by a larger audience.

I recommend reading The New Normal: What Comes After COVID-19?; How You Can Prepare Yourself for the New Job Market; and What Impact Will the Election Have on Prescription Drug Prices?

Follow @AARP on Twitter.

With fall harvest season ahead, it's a good time to reassess what your body needs now, for maximum health in this decade and the decades to come. https://t.co/tcW333b7DA

— AARP (@AARP) August 17, 2020

P.S. Ever wonder how we come up with ideas for our blog profiles? Our handy list of industries and subjects on PR Newswire for Journalists stays top of mind. If you’re a blogger or journalist looking for senior citizen news, let us know. We can customize a newsfeed for you.

Rocky Parker works in Audience Relations at PR Newswire. Check out her previous posts for Beyond Bylines and connect on LinkedIn. When she’s not working, Rocky typically can be found cooking, binge-watching a new show, or playing with her puppy, Hudson.