Four national older people's organisations are joining to create a senate to give older people a stronger voice in Wales.The Welsh Senate of Older People will lobby the UK and Welsh Assembly Governments on matters such as age discrimination, housing and health.
The senate has been launched at the assembly in Cardiff Bay.
It will also work to improve a wide range of services to the elderly in Wales.
The four organisations joining together are the National Old Age Pensioners Association of Wales, the National Pensioners Convention Wales, Older People's Advisory Group Cymru and Pensioners Forum Wales.
A spokesperson for the senate said: "The population of Wales is ageing at a faster rate than any other part of the UK, and in 20 years time one in three Welsh adults will be aged 65 or over.
"Older people's issues have become increasingly prominent in recent years and the creation of the senate is a significant milestone in the journey to unite older people the length and breadth of Wales."
Welsh Office Minister David Jones, who launched the senate, said: "Government, both in London and Cardiff, needs to hear about the concerns of older people.
"By 2020, half the population of the UK will be aged 50 and over.
"That is why we genuinely want to hear about the issues facing older people today, so that government action meets their needs."
Orginal article from the BBC
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