https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed At least 234 of Sweden's 290 municipalities have elderly care homes with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases. But a handful seem to have been able to protect residents from Covid-19, in some cases despite staff being infected. So what did they do differently, and could their strategies be applies elsewhere? https://www.thelocal.it/20200630/some-swedish-care-homes-have-had-no-cases-of-covid-19-what-did-they-do-right Tue, 30 Jun 2020 16:49:53 +0200 some-swedish-care-homes-have-had-no-cases-of-covid-19-what-did-they-do-right Salvatore 'Felicino' Piredda passed his middle school exams with top marks this week – at the age of 98. https://www.thelocal.it/20190621/italian-nonno-graduates-from-middle-school-at-98 Fri, 21 Jun 2019 18:10:51 +0200 italian-nonno-graduates-from-middle-school-at-98 Nearly 120 years after Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi called it his "most beautiful work", ageing musicians still play out their days at his Casa Verdi retirement home. https://www.thelocal.it/20190318/inside-casa-verdi-italy-retirement-home-for-musicians Mon, 18 Mar 2019 10:40:24 +0100 inside-casa-verdi-italy-retirement-home-for-musicians Police in northern Italy intercepted an elderly man spotted driving his car up a ski slope, who reportedly told them he was trying to get to the ski lodge for lunch. https://www.thelocal.it/20190304/italian-police-catch-92-year-old-driving-on-ski-slope Mon, 04 Mar 2019 12:35:22 +0100 italian-police-catch-92-year-old-driving-on-ski-slope The Sant'Egidio community says Italy needs to raise its quotas for migrant carers from outside the EU if it is to meet the needs of the 3.8 million elderly who live alone in Italy. https://www.thelocal.it/20180719/catholic-aid-organization-italy-urgently-needs-more-migrant-carers-for-the-elderly Thu, 19 Jul 2018 16:57:33 +0200 catholic-aid-organization-italy-urgently-needs-more-migrant-carers-for-the-elderly Meet Irma. Irma is going to Kenya to do voluntary work in an orphanage. Irma is 93. https://www.thelocal.it/20180223/italian-nonna-irma-kenya-volunteer-orphanage Fri, 23 Feb 2018 16:21:00 +0100 italian-nonna-irma-kenya-volunteer-orphanage Through vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see and shrouded in fog, the thud of hooves pounding the loose earth grows louder. A man on horseback gallops into view. https://www.thelocal.it/20180216/italy-doctor-house-calls-on-horseback Fri, 16 Feb 2018 11:06:34 +0100 italy-doctor-house-calls-on-horseback Italy has long been one of the countries with the highest life expectancies in the world - but what's it actually like to grow old in Italy? A new report has examined how Italy's elderly population measure up to their counterparts across the EU. https://www.thelocal.it/20170926/life-expectancy-is-rising-in-italy-but-the-elderly-struggle-with-health-problems Tue, 26 Sep 2017 16:22:54 +0200 life-expectancy-is-rising-in-italy-but-the-elderly-struggle-with-health-problems An Italian ex-soldier who took part in parachute operations during the Second World War decided to celebrate his 96th birthday in a memorable way, by taking the leap once again. https://www.thelocal.it/20170426/ninety-six-year-old-retired-veteran-soldier-parachute-jump Wed, 26 Apr 2017 12:16:23 +0200 ninety-six-year-old-retired-veteran-soldier-parachute-jump When he heard the sound of street musicians playing, one elderly man couldn't help but break into a dance - and the video of his moves has brought a smile to thousands of Italians. https://www.thelocal.it/20170224/this-dancing-grandad-has-become-a-viral-hit-in-italy Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:16:42 +0100 this-dancing-grandad-has-become-a-viral-hit-in-italy Candida Bellotti - the oldest living Italian nun -celebrated her 110th birthday on Monday. At her birthday party, she shared some tips for anyone hoping to live an equally long life. https://www.thelocal.it/20170221/italys-oldest-nun-shares-tips-for-a-long-life-on-110th-birthday Tue, 21 Feb 2017 12:13:28 +0100 italys-oldest-nun-shares-tips-for-a-long-life-on-110th-birthday An alert and chatty Italian woman, Emma Morano, on Tuesday celebrates her 117th birthday as the last known person alive who was born in the 19th century. https://www.thelocal.it/20161129/emma-morano-last-person-alive-born-in-1800s-turns-117 Tue, 29 Nov 2016 10:45:36 +0100 emma-morano-last-person-alive-born-in-1800s-turns-117 Valerio Piroddi, known to friends as Tziu (Uncle) Mundicu, had 111 candles to blow out on his birthday cake on Sunday, making him Italy's oldest man. https://www.thelocal.it/20161114/italys-oldest-living-man-just-turned-111 Mon, 14 Nov 2016 11:24:11 +0100 italys-oldest-living-man-just-turned-111 In one month it will be Emma Morano's birthday. Though she hasn't invited anyone, people from around the world are still likely to turn up to celebrate with the last known person alive to have been born in the 19th century. https://www.thelocal.it/20161031/emma-morano-worlds-oldest-person-shares-her-secrets-for-a-long-life Mon, 31 Oct 2016 09:42:47 +0100 emma-morano-worlds-oldest-person-shares-her-secrets-for-a-long-life Italy is the European country with the highest percentage of the population aged 80 or over, the latest report from Eurostat shows. https://www.thelocal.it/20160929/italy-has-europes-oldest-population-eurostat Thu, 29 Sep 2016 17:07:28 +0200 italy-has-europes-oldest-population-eurostat Irma Borgoglio would have celebrated her 103rd birthday in September, but when police found her body in the apartment she shared with her son, she had been dead for months. https://www.thelocal.it/20160907/dead-woman-kept-in-freezer-so-son-could-get-her-pension Wed, 07 Sep 2016 16:19:24 +0200 dead-woman-kept-in-freezer-so-son-could-get-her-pension Scientists on Monday revealed part of the secret to why a small village in southern Italy has an unusual number of centenarians - low levels of a particular hormone that affects circulation. https://www.thelocal.it/20160905/scientists-find-keys-to-a-long-life-in-italys-100-club-village Mon, 05 Sep 2016 17:26:55 +0200 scientists-find-keys-to-a-long-life-in-italys-100-club-village Maria Bernacchi says she has reached the age of 104 thanks to working hard and having good friends - but she had always wanted to see the sea. https://www.thelocal.it/20160810/this-104-year-old-woman-just-saw-the-sea-for-the-first-time Wed, 10 Aug 2016 12:40:46 +0200 this-104-year-old-woman-just-saw-the-sea-for-the-first-time Four policemen cooked pasta for an elderly couple after rushing to their home in Rome when a neighbour overheard their cries of despair. https://www.thelocal.it/20160809/rome-police-cook-pasta-for-lonely-elderly-couple Tue, 09 Aug 2016 11:26:12 +0200 rome-police-cook-pasta-for-lonely-elderly-couple More than 30,000 elderly Italians have married their carers over the past 10 years over fears they will face their twilight years alone. https://www.thelocal.it/20160215/why-30000-italians-have-told-their-carers-i-do Mon, 15 Feb 2016 16:53:46 +0100 why-30000-italians-have-told-their-carers-i-do