Seniors are increasingly turning to social networks for companionship and support. Social networking provides opportunities for seniors to meet new people, stay in touch with family and friends and support their hobbies and interests. Facebook was the third most popular online destination for people 65 or older in November 2009, compared to the forty-fifth most popular destination in 2008, according to The Nielsen Company.

The most popular social networking site is Facebook, which is used by 90 percent of senior social media users, according to a recent eMarketer study.  However, experts from aging, healthcare and senior services have joined together with social media experts to create interactive sites connecting seniors through common interests, such as Eons and Vibrant Nation.

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Hey Everyone! It’s been quite a while since my last post. Things have been busy but there are good reasons for my absence. My promise is to move forward with more regular posts and very interesting articles about the elderly and the whole industry which is going through major upheaval both nation-wide and in Minnesota. So, please stay tuned and keep checking back. I promise a great article in the coming week about seniors and social networking. It’s not just for teenagers anymore! So, if you’re 15, help get your grandpa a Facebook account and expect him to be on it and friending everyone he knows, and I’ll bet that his friend list will be longer than yours!

Thanks for hanging in there and I look forward to see all of you online more and more in the coming weeks.

For millions of Americans who offer informal care to ill or disabled loved ones, caregiving is a Catch-22. On one hand, the commitment to provide care is a very rewarding personal experience. At the same time, numerous studies have quantified how exhaustion, worry and ongoing caregiver demands can cause chronic stress, depression, anxiety, premature aging, high blood pressure, headaches and back pain.

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