Sardinia is in second place in Italy for the lowest number of home care for the elderly: 2.15% among those over 65 and 3.6% among those over 75. First place in this negative ranking is held by Calabria (1.67% among those over 65 and 2.87% among those over 75).
The data are provided by the general secretary of Cisl Fnp Sardinia, Alberto Farina: the situation detected by the 2024 Survey of "Italia Longeva" in light of the data from the Information System of the Ministry of Health, photographs the shortcomings of the Sardinian health system towards the elderly.
"A deficient Adi (integrated home care)," observes the union representative, "has a negative impact on the entire functioning of the health system: above all, it increases visits to the emergency room and inappropriate hospitalizations. In all of Italy, 600 thousand days of inappropriate hospitalization have been calculated for the over 70s, only to manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, which contribute to overcrowding in hospitals, to the increase in waiting lists and to late discharges because in the territory there is no possibility of taking charge of these patients".
The data, Farina emphasizes, «say that Alzheimer's disease also requires special social attention. The increasing trend of this disease seems to be one of the possible outcomes of the accentuated aging of the Sardinian population. The signs are all there. Sardinia with 44.2 cases per 10 thousand residents over 65 is the second region for mortality due to dementia and diseases of the nervous system. The area with the highest incidence of this type of mortality is Southern Sardinia (46.8 per 10,000 residents). In the provinces of Cagliari and Sassari (45 cases per 10,000). On the island there are approximately 24 thousand people affected by dementia, of which over 50% have Alzheimer's disease, for a social burden of no less than 60 thousand people (patients, family members and caregivers). Patients, relatives and caregivers must have the necessary support to face a drama of this magnitude that weighs mainly on families. The psychological, emotional, social and economic impact on those who live with a person with this disease is enormous. Family and caregivers are indicated to be at high risk of incurring physical and mental health problems.
Even if in recent years there has been an improvement in services in Italy, concludes the secretary of the Fnp, «the Regional Council must take charge of it with the right urgency and allocation of adequate resources».
(Online Union)
