This document describes the situation of people 65 years and older in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. There is growing concern in the Scandinavian countries with provision for the elderly in the future and the feeling that government involvement may not be as great in the future as it has been in the past. The growth of formal care, the changing family structure, and the relationship between formal and informal care of the elderly are addressed. Support to families who are providing care for their own elderly members is cited, and the use of home help as an example of formal care is discussed. Fifty-six references are listed, and the document concludes with an appendix that details the statistical variables used in a study on the use of home help among the aged reported in the document. (CML)