Abstract

Older people suffering from multiple chronic diseases and living in facilities are like to live relational deprivation due to the lack of social contacts with persons in general and in particular with those of younger generations. Moreover, also the relationships with social and health workers are often asymmetric as based on need and dependency. In this scenery, old people may experiment a situation of total inactivity, lack of incitements and isolation that may compromise their psychological and physical wellbeing. In the Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between generations two studies both targeting institutionalized older people and aiming at their psycho-social activation - «Memory» and «Ri-generiamoci» - were carried out in two different areas in Italy. The most innovative feature of these experimentations lied in addressing people so frail and impaired that are generally considered not worth to invest time and energy on. The article presents the main characteristics and results of these studies, discussing their future implications.