Editorial Guidelines

Topics We Research

Here at SeniorLiving.org, we take a focused approach when deciding which topics to cover. In other words, we are selective and discerning, only researching and creating resources around senior-friendly solutions that truly make a difference.

If we don’t have an expert advisor who is highly-qualified to give advice on a topic, we will not even consider it. That illustrates just how important accuracy and reliability is to us and to our readers.

Our Core Ethics

Our company is guided by a strong core of ethics. We believe that helping mature adults and their loved ones is a big responsibility; and it’s not to be taken lightly. With this in mind, everything we do — our research, studies, advice, and recommendations — is built on a strong foundation of ethical principles.

With these ethics at our core, older adults and their loved ones always know what to expect. They can put their full confidence in our research, as we aim to be trustworthy and caring in all that we do.

Credibility and Compassion

Credibility is very important to us. That’s why we have a team of expert advisors who are committed to rigorous research and creating in-depth resources. But credibility isn’t enough by itself. The truth is, seniors and their loved ones face real challenges in life, and they deserve a compassionate voice. So our goal is to meet older adults where they’re at — with quality research that’s communicated in a fun and kind-hearted way.

Credibility and compassion are not at odds with one another. Rather, they are a powerful duo when it comes to providing trustworthy advice and overall peace of mind. We believe that older adults who are equipped with the right resources, communicated in the right way, can age with dignity and independence. So we strive to combine both credibility and compassion in all of our editorial efforts.

Fact-Based Research

While so many so-called experts share half-baked research, the research we conduct is 100 percent fact-based. And there’s a big difference between the two. Our high editorial standards leave no room for carelessness. Therefore, we never make assumptions in our research. We triple check our work. And our experts back up claims and facts with credible sources.

All of our research and resources are reviewed and fact-checked by no less than three people: the person conducting the research or writing the piece, a subject matter expert, and our team of proofers and editors. Each person involved in the fact-checking process reviews each claim and data point mentioned using online searches and fact-checking tools like Snopes and FactCheck.org. This ensures that our content includes only accurate data and information so that things don’t slip through the cracks.

Our content is written by real humans, never by AI robots. This ensures that all of our content is accurate and trustworthy. While we recognize that AI is a useful tool in some circumstances, it cannot provide the hands-on, real-life experience and empathy that human writers can.

This approach makes all the difference when it comes to narrowing down your options. For instance, if you or your loved one is looking for a medical alert system, the details truly matter. In some cases, getting the details wrong can have grave consequences. That’s why we conduct and publish fact-based research only.

Sources We Trust

Not all sources are created equal. Here at SeniorLiving.org, we use only verified sources in our research, guides, tools, and other resources. Wherever appropriate, we also cite and/or link to the source to further establish credibility and to “show our work.”

It’s important that seniors and their loved ones don’t just believe everything they read online. Unfortunately, there are companies out there that falsify studies and prey on older adults for profit. So we always recommend digging a little deeper to validate credibility and reliability.

Honest Recommendations

Our experts have chosen senior care as their life’s work. They have family members in their golden years, and they know just how critical it is to get the right advice at the right time. This is just a small handful of the countless reasons why we create and publish honest research and recommendations only. To do otherwise would go against everything we love and hold true.

We aim to be completely transparent and truthful when giving advice and recommendations. Our experts always use their best judgment, from start to finish. This way, older adults and their loved ones can learn about their options and make an educated decision from there. We never try to persuade or dissuade our readers — but we do make honest appeals backed by research and testing. Our company’s success is largely due to the honest, fact-based advice and recommendations we give. So we would never intentionally jeopardize readers’ trust.

Our Review Process

We have a rigorous process for reviewing and testing products to ensure that we offer an accurate evaluation to readers. Every product and service we review is rated out of five stars, and we choose the star rating after evaluating several criteria. This criteria will vary by product category, but some of the most important things we evaluate often include:

• Price and value
• Ease of use
• Customer service experience
• Features and technology
• Equipment quality and reliability

We perform hands-on testing whenever possible, and we also recruit older adults to test out the products and services. Receiving feedback from seniors is invaluable, as the products and services are designed for them. When testing a product, we take readers through the entire process, from the buying experience to unboxing and setup to trying out all of the product’s features. As we test the products and services, we take detailed notes, snap photos, and chat with customer service to ensure we understand the ins and outs of whatever we’re testing. All of this research and hands-on experience is then used to inform our reviews and unbiased opinions. For a deeper dive on our testing process in a specific product category, read our medical alert system methodology.

We Write for Our Readers

Our editorial standards also include details like verbiage, language, and communication. Here at SeniorLiving.org, we communicate in simple terms. We do not use industry jargon or complex phrasing. Instead, we write for our readers. This isn’t to say that our readers are “simple.” Quite the opposite!

Our readers are intelligent, and they desire honest information without all the frills. It was Oscar Wilde who once wrote, “Don’t use big words. They mean so little.” We care about connecting our readers with senior-friendly solutions. And we leave no room for distraction.

Resource Edits and Updates

It often happens that we learn of new developments of a product or service. Whether it be updated pricing, new plan features, new specs, you name it — things are constantly changing. Thankfully, we periodically rotate through our research and resources, and we make any necessary edits as fast as possible.

Also, while we strive for perfection, mistakes do happen (we’re human after all). So if our team ever gets a fact wrong, or otherwise publishes an inaccuracy, we are quick to update the resource the moment it is identified. At the end of the day, we are committed to speedy edits and updates. These are two simple measures we take to ensure older adults and their loved ones have access to the high quality research and resources they deserve.

Collaboration With Experts

From pharmacology to dementia caregiving, and neurosurgery to healthy aging — our experts have extensive experience across several categories. Our expert panel is chock-full of award-winning speakers, authors, doctors, and all-around brilliant minds. This makes our company incredibly unique in our field. More importantly, it restores hope and confidence in seniors and caregivers. The truth is, good advice is as rare as diamonds in the digital age. So everyone wins when our advisors share their expertise with accuracy, honesty, and compassion.

A Free Resource for All

Seniors should not have to pay for quality research and advice. Many older adults live on a fixed income or a tight budget, and another monthly bill is one too many. That’s why our company doesn’t charge for access to our resources. It’s 100 percent free for seniors and caregivers. We do not take donations, we do not have sponsored posts, and we don’t blitz our readers with advertisements.

While we do offer top-quality research and resources free of charge, we have to earn some revenue to continue sustainably serving our audience.

The way our company makes money is fully outlined in our consumer disclosure. In short, some of the links and phone numbers on our site are affiliate links and phone numbers. When a reader clicks on these links, we might make a small commission. We may also be compensated when connecting people with senior living facilities through our housing finder tool. This does not affect the price the consumer pays in any way. It also does not affect our reviews or editorial approach to the topic, product, or service. Our partnerships may impact only our placement of the advertising partner’s listing on our site.

We recommend only the options that we truly believe can improve lives. When reviewing products and services, we highlight both the pros and the cons to provide a well-rounded picture so that readers can make their own informed decisions. And we would never recommend a product or service that we wouldn’t recommend to our own families.

Engaging With Our Readers

Our community is thriving, and we’re happy to have you along for the journey. We always encourage seniors and caregivers to join the discussion. You can do this by commenting on our resources or reaching out to us directly with your feedback (see below). Our readership is overflowing with vibrant older adults and curious caretakers. And our experts are happy to engage in lively discussions. After all, if you can’t have fun as you age, what fun is aging?

With this in mind, it’s best not to think of our company as a lecture room with a teacher at the front yapping away. Instead, think of it as a roundtable, with real experts facilitating the discussion, while encouraging every participant to have a voice of their own. That’s the environment we foster here at SeniorLiving.org.

Get in Touch!

Do you have a comment or concern? Maybe you have a burning question that you’d like to ask in private. Or perhaps you’d simply like to write us a letter to say hello! Whatever the reason, it’s easy to get in touch. And we’d love to hear from you.