As the population of all European countries ages rapidly, understanding the phenomenon of ageing and social responses to old age has become a vital contemporary issue. The diverse ways in which old age is seen across Europe are compared and different forms of care for the needs of older people are examined. With the demise of large institutions, and increasing demands on families and on domiciliary care, the question of inter-generational relations is seen as a key element in the future of old age. It is argued that much is to be learned from cross-national comparisons in developing social responses to old age.