INTRODUCTION & REVIEW OF LITERATURE We all grow older. This has and will always be the case. However, the extended life expectancy common today is a relatively new phenomenon. Both in Western societies and developing countries, the proportion of persons over the age of 65 is steadily increasing. This higher life expectancy reflects a positive development. However, it also brings new challenges. In particular, age-related diseases, such as cognitive impairments and dementia, have become more and more relevant for both individuals and for society. A dementia disorder affects most aspects of a person's life, and also has a great impact on the lives of the person's family and care-givers. Each developmental phase has its unique characteristic features, developmental tasks, virtues and realization points from the perspective of positive psychology. Old age is the final developmental phase which is adorned by folds of wisdom, generativity and ripened meaning of life for those who have aged successfully. Since the dawn of civilization, human beings have recognized a progression through the life course, from infancy through old age. One cannot fully understand what old age means unless one understands it as part of the entire course of human life, and this approach is called the life course or life-span perspective (Settersten, 2003). 1.1 Statement of the Problem As more and more people live to an advanced age with increasing life expectancy, the prevalence of dementia is likely to increase because primarily it is an illness of old age. In developing countries, where recent progress in public health services has extended longevity, the increase will be even more striking, for instance, Guatemala will have 357%, Mexico 324% and India 264% increase in their elderly population (Cummings, 1995,