Italy prepares to welcome one million over-90s in the next three years. Increasing demand for home care

Italy is preparing to welcome a new army of citizens: within the next three years, the number of people over 90 will exceed one million. While this milestone represents a success in terms of increased longevity, it also opens up complex scenarios and requires a concrete commitment to ensure adequate care for this fragile segment of the population.

The alarm from Italia Longeva

Raising the alarm is Italia Longeva, which, starting with data from the Ministry of Health‘s Information System, presented an in-depth survey on the reality of elderly care in Italy. The data paint a worrying picture: in 20 years, an estimated 6 million elderly will be alone and at risk of isolation.

A growing need for care

Although the number of elderly receiving home care is increasing (from 252,000 in 2014 to nearly 550,000 in 2023), the need remains enormous. In fact, according to Italia Longeva, this increase is not translating into a real improvement in the quality of life of the elderly. In addition to this, of particular concern is the situation of people with dementia. 64 percent of these people do not receive any kind of assistance from social and health care facilities, a very heavy burden for the families who care for them. “The aging of the population and the increase in chronic diseases require us to accelerate the process of strengthening and homogenizing care across the territory,” says Roberto Bernabei, president of Italia Longeva.

The consequences of inadequate care

The lack of adequate home care has direct consequences not only on the quality of life of the elderly, but also on the health care system as a whole. The increase in emergency room admissions and inappropriate hospitalizations, often due to the lack of alternatives on the ground, leads to a significant increase in health care spending.

An appeal for a more efficient care system

Italia Longeva’s appeal is addressed to the relevant institutions and authorities to work to create a more efficient, equitable and accessible elderly care system. Only in this way will it be possible to guarantee this growing segment of the population a dignified and independent life, while easing the burden on families and the national health care system.

Sources and Images

• https://www.ansa.it/canale_saluteebenessere/notizie/medicina/2024/07/16/in-italia-atteso-un-milione-di-over-90-nei-prossimi-3-anni_62bced85-10f6-40c4-9341-6f9fb0118068.html
• https://www.tgcom24.mediaset.it/salute/cresce-il-numero-di-anziani-in-italia-atteso-un-milione-di-over-90-nei-prossimi-tre-anni_84810510-202402k.shtml