Italy faces widening long‑term care shortage for elderly residents

In Piemonte, more than 11,600 seniors are waiting for a place in a publicly‑funded residential care facility, with the waiting list climbing 75 % to 7,399 people between February and December 2025. Less than half of the available beds in the region are occupied by patients covered by the public health quota, forcing many families to pay fees exceeding €4,000 a month. National data show that residential facilities cover only about 7.6 % of the demand for non‑self‑sufficient elders, while home‑care services meet just 30.6 % of needs, providing an average of only 14 service hours per person.

The city of Siena’s public assistance agency (ASP) presented its 2025 Social and Sustainability Report, revealing that its facilities cared for 770 elderly residents across homes, Alzheimer’s centres and day‑care units, maintaining a 97.5 % occupancy rate. The ASP also prepares roughly 2,900 meals daily for schools and a senior day‑care centre, including around 325 special‑diet menus. The report underscores the continued reliance on both public and private funding to sustain Italy’s elder‑care network.