[Comments on "Building blocks for a policy for the elderly"]

In the beginning of 1982 at last the third report of the government on the policy on the elderly was published. The two reports before were published in 1970 and 1975. The central issue is that the services available for the elderly should be maintained at the present level, despite the growth of the number of the aged and the economic recession. The policy as practiced in the last years is judged to be continued. However, a critical analysis of this policy is absent in the report. Neither does the report make choices; it describes the possible developments in the next decade. The facts and research -data used to describe these future developments are not critically considered. Still a lot of positive aspects may be mentioned; for example the fact that the policy on the policy starts before 65. Actually most figures deal with persons 55 and over. Also the attention given to scientific research is positively judged.