Solidarity in Italy's policies towards the frail elderly: a value at stake

The Italian public policies towards the frail elderly are underdeveloped by both quantitative and qualitative standards. The bulk of care responsibilities lies on the family and the private provision of paid care is flourishing. The last decade was characterised by significant signs of improvement – an increase in the public resources committed to long-term care and the rising interest of politicians and scholars towards this issue – but the situation is still highly critical. In such a context several questions on solidarity arise regarding the degree to which this value is actually embedded in the public policies, what are the most relevant issues and how the main actors involved are concerned. The article aims to answer some of these questions, taking into consideration the points of view of the main actors: elderly people, carers and professionals.
In doing so, the article discusses the targets of the public services, differences in their provision across the country, the rise of the care allowance and the private provision of paid care. The article shows the problems regarding solidarity in the Italian policies towards the frail elderly and sets an agenda of issues to deal with in the next decade. How policy-makers will be able to manage these issues will determine whether and how the value of solidarity will shape Italy's long-term care policies in the future.