Richard Wexler, APlan2Age’s CEO, is quoted in the following article.
Whether the topic is home repair, wellness, caregiving or critical thinking, older adults’ programs are attracting a lot of listeners.
Podcasts are more popular than ever and while many are directed toward younger audiences, there are plenty that also appeal to listeners over 50 — including podcasts produced by baby boomers.
Research from the Pew Research Center finds that younger adults are more inclined to use podcasts than those of earlier generations, with two-thirds of those aged 18 to 29 saying they have listened to one or more in the last year. About half say they listen at least a few times a week. That figure drops to 35% for those from 60 to 64 years old and to 27% for those aged 65 and older.
Still, about one third of those aged 60-plus consider themselves to be regular podcast listeners. Among those listeners are a growing number of older adults — those aged 50 and over — who have launched their own podcasts.
Podcast Prodigies
Richard Wexler was 70 when he started his podcast, Caring in America, in 2023, after he and his wife had spent 14 years caring for all four of their parents. He has recorded 100 episodes since the launch which go out weekly to 50,000 people, about 12% of whom download the podcast.
Caring in America is a program with a very niche audience — caregivers and care recipients — with content drawn from older care experts who inform listeners about care resources and tell “the stories of love, compassion, frustration, understanding and patience that make up care in America.”