As people age, they are at increased risk of having their basic human rights threatened or violated. When age is perceived as incompetence, it can easily lead to discrimination that impacts human rights. Based on the premise that social policy must reflect human rights principles, this graduate-level textbook views the challenges associated with aging as opportunities for policy development that stresses the rights of older adults rather than needs. The text distinguishes between needs and rights and describes those policies and services that best ensure that the rights of older adults are actually met particularly programs that enable people to remain in their own communities so they can benefit from continued integration and participation in society. Issues and challenges surrounding such efforts, and gaps in social policies faced by specific subsets of older people, are critically examined.