The ageing of British society was on the agenda at Tuesday's meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Ageing and Older People.
There are more people in Britain aged over 60 than under 18, and the number of people aged over 65 is set to rise by 60% in the next twenty five years.
The press was accused of portraying this changing demographic as a ticking time bomb, shackling the younger generation to an increasingly large section of society needing pension and care support.
Indeed, with falling birth rates and a compulsory retirement age, there will be fewer people of working age supporting more and more people in retirement.
However, the APPG and its speakers were unified in their opposition to this stereotyping of older people.
They discussed how ageing population can be seen as an opportunity as well as a challenge.
Older people should be valued for their experience and potentially huge contribution to society, especially in the arena of work.
The necessity of changing attitudes towards older people was raised by speakers.
They said the diversity of older people and their experience and contribution to society must be translated to the younger generation if we expect people of all ages to live and work side by side.
While some at the APPG abhorred the terminology of 'befriending', inter-generational social projects are a useful method by which such integration and a shift in perceptions can be achieved.
