| Kimberly McClain, like many other old people or middle aged in America, worries that her memory was beginning to slip. She said that it was little things that she could not remember, like what she had for dinner the prior evening. Kimberly had to double check to make certain she paid her insurance bill. She would walk into a room and not know why she entered in the first instance. McClain, 44, started a program that is designed to assist old people remember better. It is a detailed regimen that includes daily memory exercises. McClain is among an ever growing number of aging people who are performing mental calisthenics to keep their minds from fading.
The old people try to be attentive and stricter in their behavior and they shrink their level of social contacts. But this behavioral pattern can be a result of the influence of the society and social setups, and not because of aging itself. Many people, who grow old successfully, apply certain popular efforts for maintaining the activity of the brain by regular learning and expanding their social contacts with people from the younger generation.
The sociology and economics of aging:
The social status of each age group and its influence on society are closely related with the economic productivity of this group. In agrarian societies the elder people are kept in high esteem and are given proper attention. Their experience of life and knowledge are highly regarded, particularly in the pre-literate societies, where knowledge is inherited orally. The demand of their knowledge allows elders to continue to be productive members of society.
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