HOMECARE WORKERS IN ITALY: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Introduction: The progressive ageing and ever-increasing life expectancy of the world’s population are accompanied by an increase in chronic debilitating pathologies. Italy continues to be the nation with the highest percentage of senior citizens. Over the past decades, the recourse to hospitalisation is destined only to acute care while it is entrusted to the territory of the care of chronicity. Recent economic crises and movements of social change have led to a gradual increase in the use of homecare workers for the territorial and family management of chronic illnesses. Contrary to happened in the other countries, in Italy prevailed an informal logic regarding the recruitment and use of these workers, hindering the evolution of this sector. Aim: This study focuses on the role of homecare workers in Italian research. Results: From the analysis of heterogeneous Italian literature, the importance of homecare workers is clear. Their work not only influences assisted individuals but also informal caregivers and the direct costs of Italian national health system. Conclusion: Homecare workers in Italy’s society are important. The little attention the scientific literature has paid to this population may be due to the difficulty of finding subjects with a legal status and, therefore, willing to participate in specific investigations. Investigating the dyad of care and extending these investigations to the family surrounding context seem to be the main priorities that should be explored in future research.