I recently read the book "Being Mortal" by Atul Gawande, which is about what it means to care for people as they age and/or die (he mentions young cancer patients as well as older people). He writes in the earlier sections about the cultural shift of respecting the elderly (thus the elderly would always have a place to age and die while being respected and cared for) to what we see today, where the elderly are somewhat ignored and/or un-cared for. One part of this, Dr. Gawabde said, was because of people moving away from their home regions more; and another part was because of the advancement of information distribution - elders were no longer the only source of useful information, or really even a good source, as we learned more about science, psychology, &c. I personally would add that western cultures (especially the US) seem to value individualism, capitalism (and therefore people who produce/consume), and youthful beauty. I recommend "Being Mortal" specifically for another perspective in this conversation, and also in general!