The Republic of Croatia has been recording an increase in the number of elderly people in the total population for years and is facing numerous consequences of demographic aging. In addition to the physical, cognitive and social changes that occur as a result of aging, elderly people are also subjected to often negative stereotypes about their age group. The goal of the research was to gain insight into the perception of elderly people about the position of the elderly in today's society and how they perceive themselves as older people. Three focus groups were conducted with a total of 19 elderly people. The first group consisted of external users of the services of retirement home, the second was current residents at retirement home, and the third was members of the association intended for the elderly. A set of nine questions with sub-questions was designed for the needs of the focus groups, focused on the attitude of today's society towards the elderly, discrimination based on age, the media portrayal of the elderly, etc. The thematic analysis identified 21 thematic units, which were divided into six categories. The participants stated that negative beliefs about the elderly prevail in society and that society does not address the needs of the elderly. They believe that the tiring pace of life, upbringing, technology and the generation gap have contributed to today's social relationship and position of the elderly. They encountered discrimination at the workplace, in the health system and in interaction with others, and the partial acceptance of these social beliefs and discrimination is also present among the participants themselves. Some participants do not feel their age, while others have a negative self-image. The participants consider the involvement of the state, raising awareness through the media and encouraging intergenerational contact as steps to improving social attitudes towards the elderly.