What a sad document yesterday's report on care of the elderly was. Three public sector watchdogs came to the conclusion that too often in Britain the old are being treated with a lack of dignity and respect. One spokesman said that elderly people have become second class citizens.

The irony is that one of the supreme achievements of medical science has been to increase life expectancy. Conditions that once would have been fatal have become treatable, and on average we're living longer than ever before. It would be tragic if lack of public services turned that blessing into a curse.

One of the most poignant lines in the Bible is the verse from Psalms (71: 9) that says: "Don't cast me away when I am old; when my strength fails, don't forsake me." And there's a fine command in Leviticus (19:32), that says: "Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and honour the old." There have been many cultures that favoured the strong, the young, the economically productive. But the real test of a civilization is how we treat the most vulnerable: the very young and the very old.

I spend a fair amount of my time visiting old age homes, and I'm struck time and again by the sheer beauty of the care they're given. I'm sure the Jewish community isn't alone in this, and what a difference it makes.

A few months ago, in Newcastle, I met Florence, a lady of 103, with a smile that was astonishingly young. I asked her: what's the secret of eternal youth. She gave me a wink and said: Never be afraid to learn something new. 103 and still hungry for tomorrow.

Then there was the lady I met in Manchester who was 105 and in a wheelchair, and I'll never forget what she said to me: "I don't want you to think I'm usually in a wheelchair. It's just that we had my 105 birthday party last night, and I got a bit carried away."

And I love the way children from our youth groups and schools spend time visiting the elderly, giving the young the chance to hear history as living memory, and giving the old the honour of handing their wisdom on.

One of the questions a decent society must answer is: who will care for us when it's hard for us to care for ourselves. I think the Bible got it right. An age of dignity is one that gives dignity to age.

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