Well, I'm 56, I've been single for over 10 years. I've brought up my 17 year old daughter myself over the past 7 years. (daughters mother lives in Germany) I must shop, cook, clean, wash and work 7 days a week, that's as well as listening to and understanding my daughter. So basically, I don't "need" a woman to look after me, I'm quite capable. However, I do miss sex, on a regular basis. I miss the closeness of a woman, her scent, soft skin, gentle touch, but to be honest, when the sex is over, I'm quite happy to be on my own. I'm not a grumpy old man, I just don't want the hassle of having ties.
Only saying...

I have plenty of knowledge but I still learn new things. So as much as I know myself and my likes and dislikes I still can find myself open to a new look in a woman that I didn't like yrs ago. But I won't compromise for eating healthy and exercise. I might add smoking as I never did it. Ok so I'm not perfect but I love communications and I'm health conscious. A woman that's 7 yrs less or my age that likes to travel. And yes I'm 59 but my appetite for sex is so strong so a 50 something woman that's hungry for love.

Yes it is amazing what a little plastic surgery can do for aging gracefully....those three are certainly proof

I'm 51 stopped looking for a women don't have the time seems too much hassle dating and most women seem to only want their hands on your wallet anyway lol.

Hmmmmm...

I'll apologize for an assumption about your post (but you did put this out here so I'll assume your open/receptive for comment); it's heart wrenching that family medical issues can and will make such rips into our family structures but I for one will not judge your wife based on what you've stated. There are always so many 'behind the scenes' issues and complexities to any marriage/relationships that just one simple paragraph will not provide me a RIGHT TO JUDGE. All relationships succeed or fail for a plethora of reasons and who am I to judge your success or failure from this example - I won't.
I nurtured my dying husband through his cancer - lived through the 2 years of remission - survived those next years of the aggressive return and then his eventual death. I later relocated to care for my elderly mother and took her in and nurtured her to her last breath. I've dealt with death twice in 18 years, while working as a hospice volunteer and home health care provider...doesn't leave much for 'GIVING' to another human! And I'll say unequivocally that this is never to be taken lightly nor do I ever judge those that can't/won't participate in this adventure! ENOUGH ABOUT 'ME'!

What men look for? Good Golly, if only I could get an honest answer to that question...LMAO I've been told: 'I don't want a momma' and yet they expect me to be their nurse-care giver 24/7 - 'I don't want a model/girl friend' and yet when they drop in on me fresh out of my garden or from doing my chicken chores...well, I get some really unkind remarks about my 'DOWN HOME FARM GIRL LOOKS'. I finally told one 'MAN' that instead of placing an ad for a GF he should have placed a 'HELP WANTED'- looking for a farm hand to drive the tractor/tote that bale/drag that barge; just because I grew up knowing how to do all that didn't mean that I wanted to do that 8 hours in a day at my age or that was what I was looking for as my future FRIEND/RELATIONSHIP --- no way!

Single and dating since I've been out of the dating environment for well over 30+ years has been shocking/bewildering/embarrassing/and in general - MIND BLOWING. Is there any hope

When I first got into my Fifty decade I thought I knew what men wanted. I had and active dating life and I did not take to seriously what I saw on line as the "prime Directive." Not sure I even do now.

I worked from the premise that very few men had any big desire to be players and if they met someone compatible to their values and lifestyle it would not take much to get them out of the singles scene and into a working relationship. I expect grown men to be able to figure out what they were getting into and make a decision in the traditional year not drag on for years in limbo and or distrust. I thought the FWB thing was a passing version of the hippy sex and that they were smart enough to see that the particular arrangement was just postponing the inevitable of disease and abandonment. Now it seems almost acceptable to have one or more long standing chronic problems related to STD's.

Foolish me thought having a limited number of relationships and having some self control not to lay down with every Tom, Dick, and Harry that came along would be considered virtuous not frigid or a cover for being homosexual or just generally a closeted man hater. Or lousy in the sack until proved otherwise.

I didn't really buy into the little blue pill drama and figured maybe guys over fifty weren't doing all night what they once between mid-life health issues did but that vigorous interest in the female anatomy wasn't wilting right after supper. I really did not expect the number of guys on the down low, into kink, or closet drinkers and drug addicts that could not get it up to save their own life. I was shocked by the number of men who have serious body issues and know little or nothing about the female anatomy or how it works. Or even their own. And really don't want to even with all the readily available information but seem to enjoy making a first date sound like and anatomy report. Or that even thought they profess they are not into children or women young enough to be their children they still fall out for and waste hours chasing or generally supporting them to pretend they have a relationship with them. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I caught on just how many men actually think it is a badge of honor to be able to support a sugar baby.

I didn't think most men had that much heartburn over the traditional set up for marriage and family and I figured most expected some kind of help with making the ends meet with maybe a little left over to plan for a future but they weren't going to meet me on a first date and ask for a resume and a credit history or so angry for what they allowed in their previous lifestyle I was suppose to pay for someone else's sins and pick up the check for their invitation. I have been more than insulted by the number of in person dates that were more about finding a room mate to share the rent or actually finding out they were hoping to end general homelessness by moving in with me because I am self sustaining.

I thought the last thing a guy would want is for me to be their mother and babysit them or ask permission like a teenage daughter for everything from keys to the card to how I wear my hair. I expected them to act like adults about money and keeping a job. I wasn't even that alarmed/offended when I saw the trend toward expensive and dangerous toys funded by life insurance since na�ve me thought they weren't buried in a debt up to their ears including back taxes or that they had just pushed their kids to the street with hardly a look back to fund some fly by night scheme. Or the other farce of keeping them helpless while I was suppose to instantly step in and baby their grown drug addicted alcoholic kids or grandkids while exploiting mine and making me a potential second class family member and life long financer.

I was also rather na�ve that the number of men who live here and pass here but are long time illegals that are looking to remarry to establish citizenship (and senior care spousal benefits) but nothing near a legitimate marriage. Some actually having spouses they think you will excuse them "visiting" as well as continuing to support. Not to mention second and sometimes even third families that are more than glad to show up and lay claim to what ever is suppose to be jointly held as first in line if later in life they proceed you in death.

I was really surprised after years of living around men who lived independently or at least separately from family by military service that many of the men were still totally dominated by their parents wishes and edicts about virtually every major decision in their lives. I quickly figured out it was more about if Mommy wasn't happy they could and would be yanked up short financially and that trumps just about everything.

While I never expected men to want to be attached at the hip socially I have been a little surprised by the number of men who think living a parallel life is a relationship or that a girlfriend or wife can be treated like a secretary or other employee that will jump at their every directive.

So no I don't know what all men over fifty want but what I have seen has has certainly made me less than enthusiastic to to assume what I once did which I thought was pretty flattering of men as equals. That if I liked them, respected them helped them and enjoyed sex with them and only them finding a mate would not be a challenge. A decade later I am still looking; just not that hard.

I still look for the same thing in a relationship as I did when I was 25, 35, 45, 55, and now 60. Why would you think that anything would change for a man when he is looking for a serious relationship just because he is over the age of 50?

First and foremost, for me to have a serious relationship with a woman, she must be a nice person at heart.

Second, she "MUST" be able to become my "BEST FRIEND".

Third, we must love each other.

That should pretty much sum it up for me. Perhaps other men feel differently than me. That is my perspective on it.