(Finance) – In the next three yearsL’Italy is preparing to welcome one million people over ninety. The association Long-lived Italy underlines the urgency of Strengthen home care to cope with this demographic shift. In twenty years, the frail elderly population could reach 19 million, with a third of those over 65 alone and at risk of social isolation.
The need for home care for the elderly is enormous, although there is a increase in the number of over 65s who receive care at home, went from 252 thousand (1.95% of the total) in 2014 to almost 550 thousand (3.89%) in 2023. According to regional data provided to the Ministry of Health, in 2023 over 80 thousand more elderly people than in 2022 have benefited from home care, a significant progress that however does not seem to be fully reflected in everyday reality.
Furthermore, another 2.88% of over 65s (404,235 people) received residential care in RSA in the last year. In the next twenty years, it is estimated that approximately 6 million older people will be alone and at risk of isolation. Currently, 64% of people with dementia, one of the main causes of loss of autonomy, are not followed by social and health facilities, with a significant impact on families.
There lack of adequate home care translates into a increase in visits to the emergency room and inappropriate hospitalizations, resulting in increased healthcare spending.
The 2024 survey by Italia Longeva, based on data from the Ministry of Health’s information system, highlights the importance of long term careor the territorial assistance offered to vulnerable citizens based on the severity of their needs. Presented to the Ministry of Health, this investigation urges an acceleration to make assistance more efficient and homogeneous.
“We read with cautious optimism the numbers on ADI provided by the Regions. The aging of the population and the increase in related diseases – diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, dementia -, require us to press the accelerator to strengthen and make assistance more homogeneous in the territory”, he comments Roberto Bernabei, President of Italia Longeva.