The elderly are amoung the most numerous users of today's social care systems. Acording to the latest population census, the share of older people in the total population of Croatia was 17.7% and it's still growing, which places Croatia among countries with a very high proportion of older people. Such social structure, the changing family role and new needs of the elderly will require investment in the field of elderly care. At the same time, there is a new approach that has been taken up in the social care system. That approach presupposes more active user involvement in the process of planning and forming a care service. Also, new concepts are emerging, including individual planning. That represents a new challenge for professionals that are burdened with work and system problems and now must adopt modern work models and help users cope with their new role. Experts' opinion on the new approach is not unanimous. With all this considered, the need to conduct research and educate future professionals grows. The aim of this research was to gain insight into the notion that the concept of individual planning has for social workers who work with the elderly and who apply the new model of work in practice. We collected data through 8 semi-structured interviews. Social workers see individual planning as a relatively useful concept, but its successful implementation is hampered by insufficient professional knowledge of experts about the concept itself, and especially by organizational deficiencies that stifle the profession. The recognized benefits of the concept, individualized approach to the user, simplification of the work with the user and user empowerment seem to have stayed in the shadow of the difficulties that characterize and complicate individual planning. Social workers know what constitutes good and bad practices and are aware that individualized user approach is the right approach. However, they still don't fully understand that concept, which also affects their final perception of it.