Policy towards the elderly: Twenty-five years of Dutch experience

This article describes the developments in national policy, formulated by the stare and discussed in parliament, towards the elderly in the Netherlands during the last 25 years. A first policy memorandum was published in 1970, based on work of governmental bodies in the sixties. This memorandum serves as a landmark for policy towards the elderly in the Netherlands. Since then five other memorandums have been published. In the seventies housing was the major policy issue, in the eighties care and cost-containment prevailed, and in the nineties, so far, policy documents emphasize the importance of societal participation and integration of the elderly. Older people should have the opportunity to fully participate in society and fulfil a worthwhile role. Provision of care and costs involved are important, but policy for the elderly have become a significant political issue. New objectives will emerge by the changing elderly population themselves.