Show OPINIONS ELSEWHERE On Getting Ready f for r Old ld Age Ag AgeA A A. Northwestern university psychiatrist says did dd folks nUie brink bi of tr retirement t ought to inoculate te themselves h against senile dementia m I T This is ailment Is defined by Dr pr Clarence A. A as deterioration of of- the brain from lack of ot or improper use of ones one's mental faculties It Is Is' a gradual narrowing of the mental horizon In its advanced state the brain responds only to primordial stimuli ot ot food food food- sleep warmth and other bodily needs In other words word the victim is in his second childhood The preventive according to Dr Ney Ney- mann Js is purposeful mental or physical ac ac- ac- ac Retirement he insists sho should ld be bethe bethe the most active part of ot ones one's existence Dr ann is right of course But we AmerI Americans do don't dont like to think about old age until r retirement is upon us W We place a a. a premium on yo youth th We are pleased when friends tell us we look younger than we WC are We Ve would rather search for a fountain of ot oty y youth uth than prepare ourselves ourselves' for mental or physical activity in old age The Chinese have a much more sensible attitude They look forward to the twilight years as the best of all In old age the Chinese patriarch is fed and served by adoring children The wisdom he has accumulated accumulated accumulated through the years is relied upon to provide family l leadership He needs no psychiatrist to prescribe hobbies or new interests 8 His way o of life perfected for him through the centuries cent ries provides all the mental stimulation he needs to ward off senile dementia While we cannot hope to match the thes s serenity with which Chinese fa face e old age we need to give more thought to how we weare weare weare are going to spend our declining years After all more of us are old today than ever before in history Only Americans Americans Ameri Amen cans were 65 or over in 1860 In Th 1945 there were in that age group We have made mad some progress iq s setting up pensions for fan our ur aged We need to do more along this line But mere ere satisfaction of material materi l wants is not enough Pr Preparation tion lion for foz m mental tal and spiritual contentment in iii fri old age should begin long before the age of at 65 5 This Is primarily an individual re re- re But our schools can help if we broaden our concept of education o make room for the conditioning such preparations require Minneapolis Minneapolis Tribune |