The consequences of the aging of the Spanish population is an immediate future challenge for this country. It is estimated that, by the year 2026, 24% of the Spanish population will be 65 or older (approximately 8,764,916 people) and 6.4% of the population will be in the age range of 80 and over (approximately 2,312,000 people). The direct and indirect consequences of an aging society have important implications at different levels: redesigning the system of retirement pensions and the amount paid; developing immigration policies favouring the growth of the young active population; reconsidering the retiring age, modifying the work force; altering the consumption patterns and the market structure.

However, the tackling of the opportunities and problems linked to the population's aging still needs to improve on the part of society in general and especially on the part of the public administration. Aging is the stage in life when a person potentially has more to offer and receive and should therefore be seen under a positive light. Even though the public administration is conscious of the change in the qualitative and quantitative needs of an aging society in good health and with an increased life expectancy, they should start to formally consider how to respond to these tasks in a comprehensive and all-embracing way. Nowadays, a natural and multifold process as is aging -a consequence of several factors which may enhance it or slow it down and which affects multiple aspects of the social and economic environment of the elder person- is faced in a fragmented way by different sectorial bodies.

Nevertheless, it becomes obvious that, given the present economic context in Spain, the public domain is not able as an only agent to assume the financial burden that means giving an efficient response to these challenges. The development and effective implementation of actions aiming at the improvement of the quality of life of the elderly will not be possible without cooperation between the public and private areas. Success in the response to the economic and social challenges of an aging population involves joint responsibility and balance between these two sectors.

This requires the creation and definition of instruments to facilitate and promote the coordination between all the parts. Therefore, it is necessary to create a frame of dialogue to decide on how the responsibilities should be distributed and which would be the parameters of cooperation between the public and private areas. This discussion forum must bring to the definition of actions in the way of regulations or in any other way, which must establish the rules of the game by which both domains would play with the objective of contributing to the improvement of the political and business response to the needs and demands of the elders. Edad&Vida was born to enable this dialogue.