The Best Podcasts for Seniors

While they have been around for several years, podcasts have recently become an overwhelmingly popular form of entertainment and information. According to The Podcast Consumer 2018 from Edison Research, 34% of 18- to 34-year-olds, and 36% of 35- to 54-year-olds are monthly listeners. Seniors 55-plus make up 19% of current listeners. A podcast is an online show, structured similarly to radio shows seniors might have grown up enjoying. Like radio, they are entirely audio – no video. They are available on the internet to download for free onto a smartphone or a computer using your web browser. They vary in length, with most running between 30 minutes and one hour. Podcasts cover a wide variety of topics; there is a show dedicated to almost any interest and demographic. Below are a few we recommend for seniors.

 

Freakonomics

Each week, Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books, speaks with Nobel laureates, entrepreneurs, intellectuals, and others about socioeconomic issues for a general audience. With over 8 million downloads per month, it is one of the most popular podcasts on Apple Podcast. Topics range from tipping customs to Chinese folklore, to exercise, and in-home DNA testing kits. This podcast, like many others, doesn’t have a chronological order, so feel free to skip around, or pick a topic that interests you and enjoy.

 

This American Life

This American Life is a weekly public radio show hosted by Ira Glass. Heard by 2.2 million people, with another 2.5 million people downloading it weekly. The show primarily focuses on journalistic nonfiction and essays, with each episode following a theme. Through interviews and first-person narratives, the diverse topics cover a broad span of moods and tone. The wide variety of these stories will entertain seniors, and inspire them to share them with others, as many reviewers of the podcast have done. In addition to sharing stories, the show also covers current events and how those events affect real people.

 

Criminal

Criminal is a podcast about true crime and the people behind the cases. Every story is real. The interviewees are directly involved with the crime in some way or another. Stories of people on both sides of the law. Stories of people caught in the middle and the ones who solve the cases. What’s it like to make counterfeit money? Have you ever had your identity stolen? Who cleans up crime scenes? Each episode is a standalone story, so feel free to skip around and listen to the titles that catch your eye.

 

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Produced by the team at HowStuffWorks, this podcast is ideal for seniors with a keen interest in history. Skipping over well-known events of the past, Stuff You Learned in History class takes a deep dive into the stories left out of the history books. Highlighting social and cultural happenings and highlighting forgotten historical figures around the world, the podcast provides insight into moments of history long forgotten. Because the podcast covers so many historical topics, you can listen by theme or period of time.

 

The Alton Browncast

Food Network’s Alton Brown chats with a wide array of food industry professionals. Featuring chefs and bartenders, authors, scientists, and everyone in-between, Alton Brown talks about food and how we eat throughout the podcast. It’s perfect for the senior interested in cooking and dining.

 

Better Health While Aging

Hosted by practicing geriatrics specialist, Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH, this is a podcast for older adults and family caregivers alike. Dr. Kernisan and her guests discuss common health problems that affect seniors, and what works for improving health and wellness while aging. She and her guests also address common concerns and dilemmas that come with caring for aging parents. Medication safety, memory and cognitive health, and managing cardiovascular risks are just a few of the topics covered in this highly informational podcast.

 

You Must Remember This

You Must Remember This is a critically acclaimed podcast exploring the forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century. Proclaimed as the best podcast of 2018 by Entertainment Weekly, the show is written and narrated by former film critic Karina Longworth; it is the ideal show for any senior interested in the golden age of cinema. A heavily-researched work of creative nonfiction, Karina sorts out what happened behind the scenes of the films, stars, and scandals of the 20th century.

 

If any of these shows appeal to you or someone you might know, or you want to go searching on your own, there are several options for accessing podcasts. If you have a smartphone, there are apps to help you listen and keep you updated on shows you enjoy. If you have an iPhone, there is a podcast app pre-installed. You can also download other apps for listening, like Stitcher. The Google Play Music and Spotify apps are great options for those who want to transition between music and shows.

 

One last great feature of podcasts is that they can be stopped and started and returned to at a later time. This feature makes them ideal for seniors who enjoy a busy lifestyle or want to enjoy their favorite shows with family and friends.

The Perks of Getting Older – The Best Things about the Retirement Age of Life

A Brighter Outlook

Studies show that senior citizens are among the happiest groups of people, and they tend to be more satisfied than their middle-aged counterparts. A telephone survey conducted by Stony Brook University found that people over 50-years-old were happier overall, with anger steadily declining in their 20s through the 70s, and stress falling off entirely in the 50s. Research finds that people get more comfortable as their emotions bounce around less. These studies reveal that negative emotions become less pronounced with age, in comparison to our drama-filled younger years. As we age, we are better able to differentiate our needs from wants and focus on what is truly important to us. A University of Basel study of people aged 18 to 89 found that regardless of demographic and social status, the older one gets the higher self-esteem climbs. Qualities like self-control and altruism can contribute to happiness. While it is true that some seniors can be vulnerable to isolation, overall, they are shown to have superior social abilities and empathetic skills.

 

Sharper Reasoning

Part of seniors increased happiness is due to a broader ability to prioritize and reason. Brain scans reveal that older adults are more likely to use both hemispheres of their brains simultaneously. This neurological state is known as bi-lateralization, which can sharpen reasoning skills. For example, in a University of Illinois study, older air traffic controllers excelled at their mentally taxing and high-stress jobs, despite some losses in short-term memory and visual-spatial processing. Older controllers proved to be experts at navigating, managing multiple aircraft simultaneously, and avoiding collisions. The study says, “This could be due to better coping abilities. Older people tend to have internal mechanisms to deal better with hardship or negative circumstances.”

 

More Time for Family and Favorite Activities

One of the most obvious perks of retirement is spending time with family, friends, and other loved ones. Retirement is an excellent opportunity for many to pursue dreams and passions they might’ve put on hold. For instance, you can learn a new language, take time to travel, or finally write that novel. In addition to spending time with loved ones and pursuing new interests and old plans, retired seniors have more time to be civically and politically involved, and they do just that. For example, people over aged 65 vote at a higher rate than any other age group according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. They also volunteer at high numbers. According to this research, more than 21 million older adults, or one in every four seniors, contributed more than 3.3 billion hours of service in their communities. Based on an average estimate of the value of volunteer labor, senior citizens volunteer service contributes $77 billion annually to the economy.

Among these volunteer opportunities are several federal Senior Corps organizations that are geared specifically to seniors, such as Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions. These programs involve 360,000 senior Americans in volunteer community service activities annually. Seventy-one percent of volunteers to these programs reported less feeling of loneliness and a willingness to further engage in volunteer activities in their communities. There are also many local programs dedicated to senior citizen volunteer opportunities.

 

Senior Discounts

As small as they may seem, discounts offered to seniors can certainly add up quickly. The discounts offered to seniors can help save money in a time in life where income is usually fixed or limited. These discounts also provide a fantastic incentive to make the most out of retirement, as many of these discounts are for activities like dining, travel, entertainment, and transportation. These discounts also provide a valuable incentive for seniors to make the most of their retirement, for they are often for the exact types of services that help seniors stay engaged and active, such as dining, medication, entertainment, and transportation. Discounts are available for a wide variety of local venues, such as restaurants, museums, movies, as well as more significant ventures such as travel services like resorts, hotels, and airfare. For example, the U.S. National Park Service offers citizens over age 62 and up, a lifetime pass for more than 2,000 federal park sites for $10.

 

A Sense of Accomplishment

Older people often have a healthy sense of pride that comes from a lifetime of accomplishments. Ordinary achievements like raising a family, being happily married, serving the country, or retiring from a career after years of dedicated service can be a rewarding source of contentment in retirement.