Ageing and innovation are often regarded as contradictory phenomena. This article, which deals with innovation and change in care for the elderly, tries to break with this prejudice. Using, in particular, a definition of care for the elderly inspired by the economics of services, the article offer a simple framework for analysis of innovation in terms of “targets”. These, which make it possible to circumvent the usual economic categories (product and process innovation) are the following: modes of admission, material and immaterial technologies, services offered, the human environment (health professionals and family members), and the institutional environment.