Present-day adults have not incorporated the past wisdom and heritage of the older generation and so lack a historical context from which to view the present and the future. Without this perspective of a re-enacted and honoured past, people concentrate only on the immediate things of life and have little concept of their own role in the creation of history. They are more interested in the politics of advancement or in the petty annoyances of their jobs than in the more basic question of their role in society.
Elderly people often suffer from a reduced level of communication brought about by a reduction in their mobility, and a related reduction in their ability to use body language. Because of this diminished mobility, many require help in personal care and thus they are forced to allow others to invade their private zones. The effect can be withdrawal, which may result in a diagnosis of dementia. Subsequently, the persons around the "patient" may then behave in a way which makes it obvious they consider he is demented, and that they are no longer interested in communicating with him. Many with a diagnosis of senile dementia are, in fact, under-stimulated or suffering from sensory deprivation. They react by withdrawal or by aggression which is then taken as a further symptom of their dementia.