Solidarity in Italy's policies towards the frail elderly: a value at stake

The Italian public policies towards the frail elderly are underdeveloped by both quantitative and qualitative standards. The bulk of care responsibili ties lies on the family and the private provision of paid care is flourishi ng. The last decade was characterised by significant signs of improvement - an increase in the public resources committed to long-term care and the ri sing interest of politicians and scholars towards this issue - but the situ ation is still highly critical. In such a context several questions on soli darity arise regarding the degree to which this value is actually embedded in the public policies, what are the most relevant issues and how the main actors involved are concerned. The article aims to answer some of these que stions, taking into consideration the points of view of the main actors: el derly people, carers and professionals. In doing so, the article discusses the targets of the public services, diff erences in their provision across the country, the rise of the care allowan ce and the private provision of paid care. The article shows the problems r egarding solidarity in the Italian policies towards the frail elderly and s ets an agenda of issues to deal with in the next decade. How policymakers w ill be able to manage these issues will determine whether and how the value of solidarity will shape Italy's long-term care policies in the future.