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In the next twenty years, ten million Italians will live alone, almost one person in five. For the over 65s, it will go from the current 4.2 million to 6.1 million in 2041. These numbers must not only be read, but imagined, to appreciate their drama. This means dying alone. A recent report by the US Surgeon General quantified the increased risk of premature death due to loneliness and social isolation, respectively, by 26% and 29%, as well as an increase in risks for mental health and cognitive impairment .
As Mario Salerno of AC75, a start-up accelerator of the so-called silver economy based in Ancona, explains, Italy has so far been able to count on a social structure that has naturally counteracted phenomena like these. In fact, among those over 75, 51% have a child living less than a kilometer away, and 20% live with a child. But the scenario is destined to change, and for the worse.
As emerges from the latest Istat projections, we are moving towards a structural change in our society. Between 2050 and 2080, the population would decline by a further 8.5 million. This means we will be lonelier, older and less healthy. According to the Passi d’Argento surveillance system, one in four elderly people has given up medical visits and/or diagnostic tests in the last year; even 6 out of 10 live in homes with structural problems; 16 out of 100 live too far from their family members; 7 out of 100 feel they live in an unsafe neighborhood; and 6 in 10 received advice on how to manage heat waves. The elderly, the poorest, people with a lower level of education, women and those living in the south are the people who risk suffering the most.
Technology and start-ups are not the answer to the demographic winter, clearly, but they represent a significant piece of trying to address the problem. In particular, generative artificial intelligence that uses voice may prove to be the best interface to combat the digital divide between the old and new generations.
In the second edition of the “Silver Economy meets Innovation” report created by AC75, solutions to combat loneliness were analysed, ranging from companion robotics to the construction of digital platforms to help the elderly socialize.
Some initiatives, as explained by Salerno, who in AC75 deals with partnerships and ecosystem development, are linked to new ways of organizing living spaces. From here arise some experiences of building villages or new housing models, which mean redesigning places of coexistence using a bit of technology and a lot of common sense. The operation is not simple, also because, unfortunately, time is not in our favor.
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