Change the material conditions that made them like that, and make mockery of essentialist / whedonistic thought so those that do end up like that don't feel so bold about it.
Thats not elserly. Thats middle aged.
Elderly people usually are nice and are accepting of things changing even if they dont like it.
Its the middle aged whom are easily indignant about any slight cultural change.
I hear more people whine about feeling old in their tgirties tgan in their seventies.