Ageing is an irreversible process that has always aroused the interest of scientists. Given the demographic trends related to an ageing population, care for the elderly becomes a topic that we increasingly encounter in the field of social work and everyday life. Due to the increase of the elderly population in the total population, changes that come with age and dependence that they may cause, it is necessary to adapt the entire social welfare system for the elderly, especially existing programmes and services intended for the elderly. The area of care for the elderly and the infirm in Croatia is regulated by European and national legal regulations, strategies and plans. The family, as a basic institution of society, has recently lost its role in caring for the elderly so the state takes on part of that role by providing various rights and services. Future development of services for the elderly should go towards ensuring better institutional accommodation for a smaller number of the elderly who need it, supporting the longest possible stay of the elderly in their homes and the development of non-institutional services, in which the family and local communities play an important role. Concepts of acive ageing and ageing in place encourage as long as possible the stay of the elderly in their homes, and according to experts it is the direction in which care for the elderly should be developed. The paper highlights some of the current problems in the care for the elderly, as well as recommendations and guidelines of experts for solving them.