Senior Choices: Remarriage or Relationships: The Pleasures and Problems of Romantic Encounters Over Sixty
by Peggy Andrews Burns, Willard A. Burns
Category: Family & Relationships

Men and women living together outside of marriage is common place today. But did you know that almost 400,000 seniors are part of this group. A new book, Senior Choices----Remarriage or Relationships by Dr. Willard Burns and his wife, Peggy Burns, explains this new trend and the choices seniors are making in light of longer, healthier life spans, more money to spend and the independence to enjoy it. This new book, which acknowledges that marriage is still the most accepted lifestyle for two seniors, explores the alternatives. In doing so, it breaks down senior relationships according to the main characteristics that bring the couple together. It describes the "geriatric stud" as well as what the authors call a "comfort companionship." Relationships are different at 60 plus because seniors are different than they were forty years earlier. They may be wiser but are usually more practical, sometimes more frugal, set in their ways, more prone to aches and pains and often in need of a nap. Any or all these characteristics may determine what type of relationship a senior may become involved in. The authors discuss many problems facing unmarried couples that are different from those that chose marriage. According to the authors, money and children are the two biggest factors preventing remarriage, but there are other stumbling blocks, too. Legal problems and deteriorating health, both physical and mental, are discussed in the context of relationships starting after the age of 60. With senior moments, cracking joints and over active bladder problems, it's not easy to start a new relationship. Is sex always a part of a new relationship? This book addresses seniors involved in sex and some of the misconceptions about their sexuality. It deals with the fears, expectations, consequences as well as the pleasures of sex at this age. The serious subject of death and burial is also mentioned. A few suggestions are given with emphasis on the fact that unmarried couples may have little to say about their partner's burial site. The book adds humor to the eccentricities of seniors in their everyday lives. For those seeking a new partner, it ends with a lengthy list of good dating tips.