If he has silver hair and a heart of gold, the one in front of you is definitely a grandfather. So goes an old adage, which is valid always but above all today, 2nd October, which is their feast and falls on a non-random day, the one that the Catholic Church dedicates to the ‘Guardian Angels’. And indeed, just like domestic deitiesalways at our side to dispense help, pampering and good advice, grandparents are real “keep the angels”On earth, which over the years become sweeter, wiser and even more beautiful. To thank them for the fairy tales they told us and for all the dreams that we would never have had without them, and to enhance and underline the importance of the role they play not only in families, but more generally in the whole of society, in Italy in 2005 was established Grandparents Day, with a specific law. Which invites them to organize events and initiatives in their honor and has also created the national prize “of the grandfather and grandmother of Italy”, awarded every year by President of the Republic to ten super-grandparents.
This feast, blessed by Pope Francis, is present in many countries of Europe and the world, even if it does not fall on a single date: since 1987 it has been established in France, where, however, grandmothers are celebrated on the first Sunday in March, while grandparents are celebrated separately on the first Sunday in October. Three years later, from 1990, in United Kingdomand from 2010 in Australia e in Germania. If in Mexico the festival falls in August, in Poland it happens in January. But he had everything originated in the United States in 1978under the presidency of Jimmy Carter, who gladly set it up, since he himself had a large number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“Do you have a girlfriend?”, “Cover up well it’s cold outside”, “Have you eaten?”, “When are you getting married?” generations day after day they pass on a baggage of values and experiences, pills of wisdom and good advice. They help and support morally and economically the family, of which they are the roots. They help to raise the grandchildren, who for too much goodness often pamper and spoil more. Thanks to the ability to listen to them, please and understand them, they are able to have more confidence with them than their parents. The grandmothers then in the kitchen they are a real delight, and the Sunday ritual sees them in the kitchen intent from early in the morning to prepare typical dishes of the past with recipes and secrets that only they know: from homemade lasagna to ravioli, from jam tarts to grandmother’s cake bears the name. Also there science certified, with a lot of study, the importance of grandparents in everyone’s life: researchers from Concordia University and Wilfrid Laurier University examined the link that existed between some couples of grandparents and grandchildrengoing so far as to show that the free time spent together strengthens i family ties to make them indissoluble for life.
The grandparents, always available and happy to lend a hand when needed, are found to be a precious resource especially in difficult times, like that of Covid. As also documented by Federindustria, during the first year of the pandemic the grandparents in our country contributed to over 38.3 billion euros to household budgets, contributing to expenses, the purchase of books, games, clothing and other goods. But how many grandparents-guardian angels are there in Italy? Istat has recorded a constantly growing elderly population for years: according to the 2022 report, the over 65 are over 14 million, about 3 million more than twenty years ago. And in 2042 there will be almost 19 million. But that’s not all: today 4.6 million elderly people need help with personal and home care. Precisely for this reason Verisure, for which safe and protected is a fundamental human right, and works with the aim of guaranteeing the right to safety for all citizens, has come up with a series of advice that can help into everyday life our beloved grandparents, whose value goes beyond everything.
“Grandparents are also elderly people who in the company of children can feel less safe and threatened by the dangers of the city, especially during the night. I consider a system useful that can give more tranquility to everyone and allow a time of greater quality, free from worries and anxieties ”explains psychologist and psychotherapist Ilaria Merici. “In this sense, an alarm system and monitoring of domestic environments such as that of Verisure, a multinational leader in Europe and Italy in alarm systems for homes, families and shops, represents a valid help to make the safer elderly and reassure family members who – for work and daily commitments – cannot always be present at their side “.
There are several small, big measures that can be put in place to take care of these pillars of the family, roots of the tree of life. Here are five simple tips proposed by Verisure’s security experts. First of all, safety at your fingertips. “Equip the grandparents’ house with one First-aid kit always stocked and store it where they can easily find it in case of need. Write down in a prominent place – such as the refrigerator door or, for smart grandparents, their mobile phone book – the numbers to call in case of emergency. Second tip: the importance of one social network. “It takes a village”, the British would say. A support system is of great help to take care of the most fragile. In the absence of relatives able to visit the elderly, help them on errands or in case of need, it is always good to create a social network, from neighbors to neighborhood friends, or involve one of the numerous voluntary associations active in the area. Third tip turns the spotlight on the scam alert. “Make sure grandparents always close the house front door, not just at night. Criminals are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable targets: it is important to warn the elderly, without frightening them, of the risks they run in opening the door to strangers, however harmless they may seem. For greater peace of mind, you could equip them with a security system with life-saving elderly connected to an H24 Operations Center, that is a wearable SOS Button, small and easy to use, with which to request immediate intervention in case of danger, falls or illness. The Verisure Operations Center, for example, manages SOS requests with the highest priority; if the elderly person is unable to speak, he connects to the cameras in the home to understand what has happened and send the most appropriate help while remaining in contact with him until he feels safe again. And then, watch out for falls and injuries. “You know, grandparents often feel invincible – say the security experts – and if certainly they are the superheroes of grandchildrenit is also true that with age they acquire some fragility. Try to convince them not to do hard work or risky moves when they are alone in the house and possibly equipped the house with video cameras to connect to from the App every now and then – with their approval of course – to make sure that they have not slipped and maybe they are unable to ask for help. Even in these cases, a wearable SOS Button can prove to be really useful. And finally the fifth and final piece of advice: ban on loneliness. Above all, the best way to take care of your grandparents is to tell them how much we love them. We visit them often, let’s invite them to dinner, we make video calls and spend quality time with them. These are the most welcome gifts they can receive.
For those who today want to make a gift to their grandparents, this day also has a dedicated flowerwhich already in the name sounds like an invitation addressed to all: the ‘do not forget me‘. Everyone is therefore called to never leave them alone, to keep them company, to keep them and take care of them, to thank them for always being ready to help children and grandchildren, to please those who knock on their door, to dispense affection, caresses and advice. precious. For all that grandparents do every day, one day is not enough: every day should be their party. And every day, if you want, it can be. Greetings therefore to all grandparents of the worldeven to those who watch us from up there.
Luciano Artusi, kind grandfather from Florence
At the end of the Days of the Games of Kindness, the delivery of the shirt of kind ambassador, the kind grandfather of Florence, ambassador of kindness. A colored shirt with this writing was delivered to Luciano Artusi, popularizer of Florentine and Tuscan history, writer and Consul of the Guelph Party. On the occasion of the grandparents’ day, at the end of the National Games of Kindnessin Florence, where the Games were kicked off – coordinated by Luca Nardi– the Costruiamo Gentilezza team, made up of 1,800 women and men engaged in kindness projects, welcomes a new ambassador ”.
“I am grateful for this gift and I am grateful to the children who have defined me kind grandfather– declared Luciano Artusi – I am honored to be a ambassador of kindness. My commitment is to help spread it ”. The ambassadors of Costruiamo Gentilezza delivered the ambassador’s shirt and the alphabet of kindness to Luciano Artusi, Gaia Simonetti and Noemi Salvati, who also plays the role of Dama di Parte Guelfa and referent of the PlayAble project. 2 participated in the National Games of Kindness1 thousand children with schools, squares, libraries and sports clubs.