The elderly in Italy: a growing population, a care that is missing

Italy is one of the oldest countries in the world. Today more than one person in five is over 65, and in the next twenty years this number will keep growing. In Florence and Tuscany the trend is even stronger.

Behind the statistics, though, there are people. There are the mornings spent looking out of the window. There is the phone that rarely rings. There are days when the only voice heard is the television.

It is not a medical issue

We often think the elderly mainly need medical assistance. But the truth is simpler and more human: they need company. They need someone who sits beside them, who listens to a story told a thousand times with the same attention as the first.

Presence does not cure an illness, but it cures the day. It gives back rhythm, dignity, a reason to get up in the morning.

What we can do in Florence

In Buona Compagnia was born exactly from this: from the idea that loneliness is not an inevitable destiny of old age. With people from the neighbourhood, carefully chosen and present with continuity, we build relationships that last.

We are not talking about carers or medical services. We are talking about genuine company, a shared cup of tea, a walk around the neighbourhood, a conversation that warms the day.

If you have an elderly parent who spends too many hours alone, or if you are the one who feels the weight of silence, let's talk. Good company can still be found.