Italy rolls out telemedicine programmes for 60,000 seniors over 80

The ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII in Bergamo received top recognition for its TeLE80 project, which provides home‑based telemedicine to about 300 ultra‑octogenarians in the mountainous Val Brembana and Valle Imagna districts. The model focuses on cognitive prevention, therapeutic adherence and social interaction, using the Lombardy regional telemedicine infrastructure. Simonetta Cesa, director of the health‑social department, said, "Questo risultato dimostra che la sanità territoriale può essere all’altezza delle sfide demografiche più complesse".

At the national level, Agenas selected 58 initiatives for the "Grandi anziani" programme, allocating €150 million from the PNRR to deliver remote care to roughly 60 000 over‑80s across Italy. Pilots include a Ligurian project shifting care from hospitals to homes, a Rome‑based Tor Vergata model that uses data‑driven risk stratification for about 4 700 seniors, and a Naples‑based Federico II scheme integrating local health services for 5 000 elders. Devices such as simplified tablets, Bluetooth blood‑pressure monitors and medication reminders will be provided, with an 18‑month experimental phase costing €2 458 per participant. Agenas director Angelo Tanese noted, "È giusto che con il Pnrr siano finanziati anche servizi, non solo infrastrutture".