Population aging, escalating costs in pensions, health care and long-term care have prompted the emergence of a new policy agenda for active aging and quality of life in old age across the European Union. In the UK, the government has made a commitment to improve services for older people through combating age discrimination, engaging with older people, better decision-making for services for older people, better meeting of older people's needs and promoting a strategic and ‘joined-up’ approach. A raft of policy initiatives not only sets the tone for service reconfiguration but also specifies objectives and time scales.