Best beginning practices for 70+ crowd not on Rx,
no dementia but some attention deficits. How to respond 
to those who fear meditation will be too difficult or futile.
Lots of spiritual desperation.

- Michael Hoffman
Sober Buddha Counseling 
Dana Pt., CA

Try asking them to follow a point with their eyes. The point should be moving along an "eigth" shape: "8" placed sideways. This activity is taxing enough for me to shut down the stories causing suffering plus has the effect of synchronizing hemispheres. They should feel pleasant energy slushing like energized fluid in their skulls. It's pleasant and interesting.
I'd  say to them they don't have to listen to fear, to just try and see if it works. The critical element is the relection about what *didn't* happen during performance of the technique (less suffering) - they need to recognize they suffered less while doing a thing you presented.

Hope this helps.

I suggest mantra chanting to old people. It's easy to learn, simple, they can do it without learning to sit cross legged or in a special pose, it's naturally addictive once one gets into the rhythm of things. It helps if they have faith in the mantra or deity. Coupled with dharma talks and prayer to the deity it really helps.

It doesn't have to be set in a strange new culture, nearly every faith has an object of worship and a mantra to go with it. Old people struggle to learn new cultures anyway, better to not subject them to it.

Done with sincerity even an hour of chanting can lead to jhanas, powers and healing. This is also suitable for very young children.