In much of the world, elders sit at the center of family and community life rather than the edges. Multigenerational households are the norm across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, where grandparents help raise children, hold financial and marital decisions, and act as the family's public face at weddings, funerals and disputes. Community elders often carry informal authority too, mediating conflicts and blessing new ventures, and in many villages nothing significant happens without their nod.
For visitors, respect is shown through small consistent gestures: greet the eldest person first when entering a home, stand when they enter, accept the tea or food they offer, let them speak without interruption, and use respectful titles rather than first names. In some cultures you might add a slight bow, a pressed-palms greeting, or receive things with both hands.
If you are invited to a family event, a modest gift for the household and a few respectful words to the grandparents will earn you more goodwill than anything else you do that day. When unsure, simply mirror how younger locals treat their elders.