Romes city authorities have stepped up provisions for the elderly in the summer months. Six newly-opened oases in addition to 18 green areas which have been running for the past two years will serve as meeting points for older people who have been left behind in the city while their families go on holiday. The oases are free and open daily July-August.

The city council, with the help of the Rome chamber of commerce, has also provided five minibuses to provide transport for elderly people, not only to and from these meeting places, but also on any other errands they cannot run on their own.

There are over half a million people over 65 in Rome, about half of whom live on their own. And according to a report by Eurispes, an Italian research institute, there are now ten million people over 65 in Italy, or one in five Italians. The report predicts that in 2026 the figure will rise to 15 million, and 18 million in 2051. Meanwhile, Italian statistics agency Istat is working on a new basket of goods to analyse the inflation rate for the elderly, whose consumption patterns differ from the average Italian family, making them harder hit by inflation.

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