ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the relationship between ageing and care in order to examine what is distinctive about needs in later life at this point in time and to discuss the range of factors that shape need and perceptions of need in old age. It argues that the risks and limitations associated with later life are not only intrinsic to the individual but also constituted by prevailing cultural values, expressed in practices of care. Policy-makers' attention is focused on ways to reduce demand and cut costs. At the same time, older people's organisations call for attention to those who, despite their evident needs, receive no support and to those within the care system whose rights have been seriously undermined. The chapter focuses primarily on the social care system, which is in a state of crisis that has stimulated controversy over intergenerational relations and raised questions about the allocation of responsibility for the care of vulnerable older people.
