Human touch is as important to an elderly person as it is a newborn baby. As emotional beings the reassurance that love provides is a very important part of being human. As long as the heart continues to beat and the body craves the gentle touch of another hand, love will happen.
Being human it is a simple fact of nature that age alone will not stop the heart from desiring the love and affection of another. Desirability brings with it a strong sense of self worth and this emotional offshoot of a love interest's flattery does not diminish with age. The elderly need the warmth and closeness of an intimate love relationship as much as their younger counterparts do but how old is too old to begin again? Studies suggest that up to ninety percent of single older individuals still participate in some degree of dating and that those who do are much more satisfied with their quality of life.
Age does not stop a person from desiring the comfort and self assurance that only a love relationship can provide to them. A little mental confusion does not diminish the emotion felt in a caring touch or a soft kiss from someone who loves you.
Family members are generally happy that their elderly parent has found someone who can make them happy but they may also be concerned when that individual decides to marry the person they are dating. Family members can tend to presume that their single elderly relative will be content with the love of family and friends in his or her later years. So it can greet them with shock or disillusionment when that older person decides to seriously pursue a love interest.
When an elderly senior decides to remarry the question of how old is too old can definitely become an emotional issue for close family members. The couples excitement at a possible remarriage may not be greeted by the family with the same enthusiasm that they look forward to it with. This becomes more of an issue the older a parent is and further more if some degree of dementia is present. Which brings up the question of when emotion is overtaking logic and if an irrational decision is being made.
Sometimes there is just cause for a family's concern. There are always many factors to consider when a person is contemplating marriage and in the case of elderly individuals there may be considerably more issues that need to be taken into account. Family members may feel that the elderly person should remain loyal to a deceased spouse and that a new marriage might somehow lessen their love or respect for the past mate. This can often display itself in the form of resentment and mistrust of the new love interest as well as in doubts as to their relative's rational decision making abilities.
The family may feel that this new relationship is progressing far to quickly to be a genuine relationship. Generally younger individuals would not consider marrying within months of meeting someone and cannot understand why their mother or father would consider it.
Another far reaching and very emotional factor is the money or Will distribution of the elderly relative in question. The older the family member is then the more likely it will be that his or her monetary value will become a factor in the logistics of a new marriage.
It is simply human nature for family members who may be financially affected by a remarriage to be concerned about the impact that this marriage will have on their position within the Will.
Unfortunately when things come down to an issue of money it is sometimes the immediate family who will put their own needs ahead of the emotional wants and requirements of their older relative. Then comes the question of what is allowed when Dementia, Alzheimer's, or other age related mental confusion is present? Who then decides whether or not that person is too old or too mentally inept to make the decision to marry? If the illness is quite pronounced then usually it is the family who has right to elect whether or not to allow the elderly relative to marry. The family may decide that dating is instead a better solution for the senior couple.
Another solution is to allow the marriage to go ahead but to first put in place stipulations as to Power of Attorney and the allowances to be paid out through the Will. There may be a substantial reason for the family to attempt to stop an elderly marriage from occurring and it does happen. An engagement announcement by a senior parent can be greeted with shock and even ridicule. It can be considered an irrational decision and the children may not only discourage the elderly relative from marrying but may also take steps to prevent the event from occurring.
Only the individuals involved can decide when age becomes a determining factor in a decision to remarry. Fortunate for many is the fact that cupid's arrows don't seem to have an age limit on them. Older love is real and senior relationships do lead to marriage. Love among the elderly continues to blossom. Blame it on our emotional disposition or on Cupid but the passing of time doesn't diminish the affects of love when it strikes the heart. When you are older love still hits with just as much depth and caring as when you are young. Levels of passion are individual to each relationship regardless of the age of the couple.
Senior relationships tend to move through the stages of love a little quicker and seniors may find the sanctions of marriage very important to a deeper commitment with their partner. One thing is certain when love strikes the elderly, the older the involved couple is then the fuzzier the boundaries of their relationship may be.
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