Top 5 Podcasts for Seniors

Podcasts are like radio shows, just better. A combination of the word pod and broadcast, podcasts are audio talks you can download from the internet to listen to at your convenience.

People enjoy listening to podcasts when commuting to work, working out, cooking dinner, or relaxing with a drink. There are an enormous range of podcast genres. Just some of the range of topics include pop culture, politics, inspiration, self-help, history, and audio novels.

Podcasts have exploded in popularity over the last few years: Apple says there are over half a million active podcast on their audio platform iTunes, and more than fifty billion episodes have been downloaded to date. Podcasts are most popular among millenials, but there’s a lot of great entertaining and inspirational content for seniors as well. We’ve picked out the best podcasts for you to enjoy today.

Take a look:

1. Lux Radio Theatre

Not really a podcast, Lux Radio Theatre is still beloved years after it first aired. This was the premier radio show in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, adapting Broadway plays and even films for the radio. You can download hundreds of episodes on iTunes for free, to bring you back to the golden age of radio. If you’re an older senior, you might even remember the iconic opening line, “Ladies and gentlemen, Lux presents Hollywood!”

2. Stuff You Missed In History Class

This is a history lesson like you’ve never heard it. The hostesses of the show focus on often skipped details of our collective history: obscure royalty, little-known events, and interesting personalities. Recent episodes talk about the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, and a possibly mythical Utopian pirate settlement. They include fascinating details and lots of interesting commentary in every episode.

3. This American Life

This is a hugely popular show on the podcast platform Stitchr. Produced by Chicago Public Radio, This American Life brings you touching, humorous and often unexpected vignettes of life in America. When you listen to this show, prepare to laugh, cry, or do both at the same time. The topics are diverse, but always creative and engaging.

4. AARP’s The Perfect Scam

This podcast from AARP is fairly new, but it’s important for seniors. Real people talk about scams they experienced and how they figured out they were conned. Co-hosted by Frank Abagnale, a former con artist turned leading fraud expert, this podcast is informative, entertaining, and can save you from falling for tricks and scams.

5. Ask Me Another

For trivia lovers, this show has all the makings of a Jeopardy episode. The show is an exciting mix of puzzles, word games, and trivia played to a live audience. The hour-long show delivers mind-stimulating brainteasers, music, and fun. With audience and call-in participation, the show feels like a casual game night at your best friend’s house.

Bonus podcast for caregivers: Caregiving Podcast Network

If you’re caring for an aging parent or ill spouse, this podcast is for you. Hosted by caregiving.com, the podcast covers a range of topics related to caregiving. Topics include grief, friendship, parenting your parent, guilt, medical choices, and health. Listening to the podcast provides support and makes you feel like Denise Brown, the hostess, is holding your hand in your caregiving journey.

I hope you give at least one of these shows a listen this weekend! Let us know which podcasts you like in the comments below.