Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on elderly people in Italy

This chapter presents an analysis of the effects of the pandemic on the elderly population in Italy by examining the government’s responses and prospects for assistance to the elderly, which are currently linked to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). We look over the paradigm of long-term care, encouraged by the European Union and adopted through the reforms that took place in France, Germany, Spain, and Austria. It contrasts with the existing elderly care services in Italy. The European Union has criticized the latter to such an extent that it refuses to include such services in the category of policies dedicated to non-self-sufficient people. Given that the PNRR’s first investments are being defined, it is crucial to move in the right direction, especially to prepare the ground for the overall reform of this sector, which has been expected for three decades and has now been promised by the Italian government in 2023.