Telecare and PNRR, everything you need to know.

Italy is the nation with the highest number of over-65s in Europe. The elderly population in Italy has been steadily increasing for several decades, thanks to increased life expectancy and decreasing fertility. According to data ISTAT, in 2021 the Italian population is estimated at approximately 60.4 million, of which 23.3% are 65 years or older. Furthermore, the 14.9% is between 55 and 64 years old.

The Italian regions with the highest percentage of elderly people are Friuli-Venezia Giulia (28.7%) and Liguria (28.4%), while those with the lowest percentage are Campania (19.1%) and Calabria (20.2%). Projections indicate that the percentage of elderly people will continue to grow in the years to come, reaching 34.3% in 2065. This means that the number of elderly people in Italy will increase significantly to over 22 million.

Many of these people live alone in their homes, and it is inevitable that in such a context the need to monitor and assist those most in need grows. To better understand these dynamics and the latest developments in teleassistance systems, we had a chat with Marco Belleri, sales and marketing coordinator by Irbema which has been following the market since its inception.

Marco, to start with, would you like to clarify what is meant by the term remote assistance and what are its advantages?

Telecare is a technology that is becoming increasingly popular in Italy, thanks to its multiple benefits for the elderly and the persons with disabilities. Telecare consists of the use of technological devices to provide remote assistance, monitor the state of health and ensure a greater security in households.

Telecare services in Italy include the provision of technological devices, such as motion sensors, emergency buttons and cameraswhich make it possible to constantly monitor the health status of the persons assisted and provide emergency support. In addition, remote assistance may also include the provision of home caresuch as administering medication or preparing meals.

One of the main advantages of telecare is that it allows elderly or disabled people to remain autonomous and to continue living in their own homes, thus avoiding having to enter care facilities. In addition, telecare reduces costs for the health system and ensures constant support for people in need.

From a regulatory point of view, how is the situation in Italy?

In Italy, remote assistance was introduced in 1997 and nationally regulated by the law 328/2000 (Framework law for the realisation of the integrated system of interventions and social services) which, through the National Health Service, provides for the provision of teleassistance services at home for the elderly and people with disabilities. These services are provided by the Municipalities and the Regionswhich manage telecare services through special companies or bodies.

Can we say that the Italian telecare market is growing?

Definitely. Telecare in Italy is becoming increasingly popular, thanks also to the growing spread of technologies such as the smartphone and the smartwatchwhich make it possible to monitor health status remotely and provide immediate assistance in case of emergencies.

What about Europe? Where do we stand?

Despite its many advantages, telecare in Italy has not grown as much as in the rest of Europe. Causes include the difficulty of some elderly people in using technology, as well as the refusal of the service when the use of technological devices to monitor daily activities is seen as a violation of privacy.

Who are usually the providers of telecare services? Public or private entities?

In Italy today, the telecare, remote assistance and remote control service is mostly provided by Regions, Municipalities, Municipal Pharmacies and Special Agenciesby operationally entrusting the service to CRI, Anpas, Misericordie, voluntary organisations, non-profit organisations, etc.

The cost is almost always borne by the providerbut in some cases the monthly cost depends on the elderly person's ISEE. On the other hand, there are very few cases in which the service is offered directly by:

• Armed and unarmed security companies
• Call centre companies specialising in remote assistance
• Personal Assistance Society

The PNRR seems to be able to make a decisive contribution to the development of the Italian market, how will the new telecare model be?

Thanks to the PNRR the (analogue) telecare model that exists today will start by the end of 2023 to be replaced by a Digital Telecare in compliance with the European reference standard. The projects envisaged to obtain European funds from the NRP include upgrading the technology from analogue to digital and entrusting the service to providers with the appropriate personnel, technology and certifications.

This new model (inter alia in line with models already existing in other European countries such as Spain, Germany, United Kingdometc.) will not be able to see current non-profit organisations or even non-certified private call centres as providers. In fact, we believe that in Italy the only operator capable of operationally delivering the Telecare is theVigilance Instituteby virtue of its technical capacity and certifications.

Who specifically is the investment aimed at and what are the main objectives?

The investment aims to make the home the first place for care, home assistance and telecare. Specifically, the aim is to increase the volume of home care services, achieving 10% of the population over 65 years of age by 2026. In particular, it is the segment of patients over 65 with one or more chronic and/or non-self-sufficient diseases that is the main target group for the investment.

Do you believe that these initiatives can really contribute to the autonomy and independence of the most fragile people?

I really hope so. Personally, I believe that only by integrating home healthcare and social interventions can we really achieve the complete autonomy of elderly and disabled people at their homes. Obviously, to make this possible, the contribution of home automation, telemedicine, telemonitoring and telecare.

The investment aims at:

• Identifying a shared model for home care delivery that makes the most of the possibilities offered by new technologies (such as telemedicine, home automation, digitisation)
• Setting up at each Local Health Authority (ASL) an information system capable of collecting clinical data in real time
• Activate 602 Territorial Operations Centres (COTs), one in each district, with the function of coordinating home services with other health services, ensuring the interface with hospitals and the emergency-emergency network
• Using telemedicine to better support patients with chronic diseases

Would you like to learn more about the most advanced digital telecare systems currently on the market?

Do not hesitate to contact us and speak to one of our experts by calling 039-249121 or writing to info@irbema.com