the societal level, education expansion helps build social and institutional capital, which has a strong impact on the investment climate and growth; it also helps in building social trust, developing participatory societies, strengthening the rule of law and supporting good governance. Implications for an aging society According to the Alzheimer's Society, it is estimated that worldwide cases of Alzheimer's diseases will jump from 47.5 million as of 2014 to 75.6 million by 2030. "Exercising the brain may preserve it, forestalling mental decline" (Grady, 2012). In North America—and presumably globally—to proactively curb potential economic issues as the baby boomers continue to age, we need to look at society through a lifelong learning lens. Consider community programs to engage retirees and foster their cognitive health. Taking a proactive approach to keep our elderly population engaged through learning and their brains exercised as Grady described, the strain on the health care system and not to mention the families of the elderly would be lessened. The US Department of Health and Human Service published a study that suggests that older people with a mild cognitive impairment receive 8.5 hours more of care each week from their family and those with a severe impairment received 41.5 more hours than those without a cognitive impairment (USDHHS, 2007). Who pays for this? As a society we are living longer—85 years for men and 90 years for women—making cognitive health vitally important. See also Brain fitness Community college Experiential education Folk high school Folkbildning, an approach to community education in Scandinavia Knud Illeris, professor of lifelong learning and author of How We Learn and Contemporary Theories of Learning Learning Learning community Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes Part-time learner in higher education Right to education Self-paced instruction TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) Vocational education Widening participation Workers' Educational Association References Sources Grady, D., (2012, March 7). Exercising an aging brain. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/business/retirementspecial/retirees-are-using-education-to-exercise-an-aging-brain.html . US Department of Health and Human Services. (2007) Growing older in America: the health and retirement study. Retrieved from http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/sitedocs/databook-2006/inc/pdf/HRS-Growing-Older-in-America.pdf Yilmaz, K. (2008). Constructivism: Its theoretical underpinnings, variations, and implications for classroom instruction. Educational HORIZONS, Spring. Further reading John Field, Lifelong Learning and the New Educational Order (Trentham Books, 2006) Charles D. Hayes, The Rapture of Maturity: A Legacy of Lifelong Learning (2004) Charles D. Hayes, Beyond the American Dream: Lifelong Learning and the Search for Meaning in a Postmodern World