GWU professor gives tips on dating over 50

ARLINGTON, Va. (7News) — Starting to look for a partner after the age of 50 can be a huge challenge.

It's the second week for Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos in her search for new love. The journey will not be easy for the 61-year-old from Rockville, Maryland.

7News host Victoria Sanchez spoke with a professor at George Washington University's (GWU) Center for Aging about the best ways to date in your golden years.

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“As you get older, you have a more complex past, you have a longer history, you have grown-up children, you have grandchildren, and you have health issues, chronic conditions and things that affect your health and your ability to travel and enjoy leisure time. So there has to be alignment on many different levels than when you were younger,” Batchelor explained.

Professor Melissa Batchelor, who is a Bachelorette herself, said it is important to have realistic expectations when embarking on a dating journey.

• Take at least 30 minutes a day to go through profiles and weed out those you don't want to court.
• Beskeptical. If the person on the other end of the app asks for money or doesn't want to move on to a Zoom or FaceTime call, those are warning signs.
• Remember that everyone brings life experiences with them.