Introduction. In Poland (but not only) the last decades have been characterised by a persistent phenomenon of an increasing proportion of elderly people in the population age structure. The dynamics of social changes, which are caused, among other factors, by demographic processes, makes the issue of elderly care one of the most important challenges today. In our country elderly care is organised mainly in the private sphere – the family plays a huge role here. Meanwhile, the families’ caring potential is diminishing. Aim. The aim of the article is to identify problems and challenges concerning the system of support for the elderly in Poland, including the support provided by informal caretakers. Materials and methods. The study is based on the desk research method. Results. Among the many challenges concerning the situation of the elderly in Poland, those related to health and health care are predominant. Life expectancy does not go hand in hand with health, and with age come (often multidimensional) care needs. Informal caretakers for older people are usually family members (so-called family caretakers), most often women – still underestimated allies of the state care system. Research to date has shown, among other things, that providing care for the elderly is time-consuming, demanding, lacking comprehensive support from the health care system, overburdening caregivers and making it difficult for them to fulfil their other roles, for instance: professional roles. Changing, improving and developing a senior care system so that it would meet the current needs of seniors and their caretakers is a very timely and urgent task. Improving the situation of informal caretakers means improving the situation of their charges.