Longevity means longer lives, but also new responsibilities for society. Population ageing is a global challenge, but also an opportunity to take a fresh approach to health, well-being and relationships. It has never been so crucial to promote active ageing and support those who care for the elderly.
Population ageing is one of the most significant demographic changes of our time and it is having a considerable impact on all fields, including health, economics, employment and social work. We’re living in the longevity culture era. The average global life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2024, marking an increase of more than eight years since 1995 (World Health Organization, 2025). The percentage of elderly people is increasing in all countries and it is estimated that by 2050, the number of individuals aged 60 and over will double, to more than 2.1 billion. There will be an even sharper increase in people aged over 80, which is set to reach 426 million: triple the amount in 2020 (World Health Organization, 2024)
According to the latest Europe data (1 January 2024), Italy remains the European Union country with the highest proportion of elderly inhabitants. 24.3% of its population is aged 65 and over and – according to 2025 Istat analyses – this figure is continuing to rise (+0.4%). Just behind Italy are Portugal (24.1%) and Bulgaria (23.8%). Italy also has the highest old-age dependency ratio: on 1 January 2025, for every person aged 65 and over, there were fewer than three people of working age (15-64 years old), giving a ratio of 39%. In addition, according to the latest ISTAT annual report, the ageing index has reached 199.8%, meaning there are almost twice as many older people as young people.
As population ageing becomes increasingly prominent, it is essential to promote longevity strategies that focus on quality of life, independence and the well-being of elderly people and their carers.
In 2002 the World Health Organization (WHO) promoted a new approach to active ageing, through a strategic document entitled Active Ageing: A Policy Framework. It was based on enabling people to realise their individual physical, social and mental potential throughout their lives. Active ageing is defined as the process of optimising opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age. The approach includes active involvement in the community, in accordance with personal interests, needs and capabilities, as well as providing the necessary support for people who are vulnerable, and helping to combat loneliness.
Active ageing should also be seen as a form of “cognitive training”. In her book La fioritura dei neuroni. Come far sbocciare la nostra intelligenza per tutta la vita [Blossoming neurons: how to make our intelligence bloom throughout our lives] (2024), Italian neuroscientist Michela Matteoli, the director of the Neuroscience programme at Humanitas Research Hospital in Milan, explains that the human brain retains considerable learning capacity even at an advanced age. In particular, it has been noted that learning new skills and regular cognitive exercises have a positive impact on white matter, slowing down the myelin loss normally associated with ageing.
Myelin plays a crucial role in nerve impulse transmission: the thicker it is, the faster and more synchronised the movement of signals between different areas of the brain will be. Lifelong learning – such as studying, reading, learning a foreign language or social and cultural experiences – fosters the formation of new synapses, strengthens existing ones and improves their efficiency. All of this constitutes an effective way to combat decline and preserve mental capabilities for longer. The synaptic connections built up over time serve as a cognitive reserve that provides protection against deterioration and can partly or fully compensate for the damage caused by neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, or the natural processes associated with ageing.
When social networks fall apart, it leads to loneliness among older people. This is one of the first steps on the path towards vulnerability. In order to promote active ageing and dignity, it is necessary to build institutional support networks. When these networks are lacking or insufficient, many older people are faced with loneliness and social isolation, which can have a significant impact on physical and mental health, as shown by research published in 2024 in "The Lancet Healthy Longevity". Through a systematic review of 130 observational studies conducted in a number of different countries, the authors highlighted that the lack of an effective social network is associated with an increased risk of mortality, deterioration in physical capabilities, and cognitive decline. We are talking about extremely significant risks, especially bearing in mind recent data revealing widespread loneliness among the elderly. According to the WHO, 1 out of 4 older people live in social isolation (World Health Organization, 2023). In the member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), loneliness affects 7.4% of people aged over 65 (How's Life?, OECD, 2024). In Italy, the situation is particularly concerning because it is the European country with the highest percentage of older people living alone: an alarming statistic for a nation in which longevity is an increasingly salient topic. According to the results of the PASSI d'Argento research conducted by the Italian National Institute of Health, in the 2022-2023 period, 15% of older people stated that they lived in social isolation. The situation was significantly more widespread in advanced old age, affecting 32% of those aged over 85, compared to 10% of those aged 65-74.
In many cases, responsibility for providing help falls on families, friends or neighbours, who offer free assistance, with neither institutional recognition nor adequate support systems.
Published in 2022 by the OECD, Supporting informal carers of older people: Policies to leave non carer behind is a report that analyses the situation of informal caregivers in OECD countries. On average, approximately 60% of older people receiving care report that all of their help comes from family caregivers, while approximately 13% of people aged over 50 state that they provide regular support on a weekly basis. Therefore, social networks are the mainstay of elderly care, which raises significant questions about welfare policies and the need to support informal carers.
Providing informal care can have a substantial impact on the carer’s psychological well-being, as underlined by the Study on exploring the incidence and costs of informal long-term care in EU (European Commission, 2021). Caring for a family member – especially a spouse – brings a considerable emotional burden. Those providing intense help (more than 20 or 40 hours a week) tend to experience high levels of stress, anxiety and isolation. The psychological pressure is even greater when there is no outside support and all of the help is provided by one person, leaving the latter at risk of emotional exhaustion and symptoms of depression.
Constant contact with learning opportunities can play a strategic role not only in nurturing the cognitive skills of older people, but also in strengthening emotional bonds between formal or informal caregivers and those receiving care, thus enhancing the well-being of both parties.
A systematic review, which was conducted by a team from University College London and published in 2023 in the journal "Ageing Research Reviews, analysed 34 studies investigating the effect of arts and culture interventions (such as visits to museums and galleries, and theatre and music activities) for older people living with dementia and their informal caregivers. The results showed an improvement in the emotional well-being of participants and stimulation of cognitive skills, such as memory, attention and language, in people with dementia.
In qualitative terms, taking part in activities together outside the care-giving situation helped to strengthen the emotional bond between caregivers and care recipients, turning care-based relationships into experiences centred around enjoying being with each other.
In addition, it provided opportunities to socialise and led to perceived benefits by allowing participants to discuss their experiences and support each other, thus promoting healthy, active ageing.
In August 2022, the ICOM Extraordinary General Assembly in Prague approved a new museum definition that sums up the new, core role that these institutions play in contemporary society: creating welcoming environments that represent different cultural identities, overcome physical, cognitive and economic barriers, champion active participation by communities and shared knowledge, and promote a collaborative approach, with broad, diversified cultural offerings that transform visits into experiences that can educate, encourage reflection and create well-being.
Three years ago, the Museum Next network launched the international Museums, Health & Well-Being Summit (28-29 January 2026), which explores the potential for museums to enhance well-being in ways ranging from combating social isolation and promoting children’s development to improving mental health. It focuses, in particular, on the most vulnerable members of society, such as older people. Recently, the Museum Summit 2025 (28-29 March) organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – a platform for dialogue by the global museum community – dedicated a day to the potential for museums to promote mental, physical and social well-being.
There is also a growing number of joint initiatives by the worlds of health and culture, which open up concrete prospects for future measures of a more systematic nature, as part of territorial policies. Take Reframing Care: Art + Wellness, which was launched in 2023 by The Phillips Collection – a modern art museum in Washington – to provide art-based support for caregivers and people living with dementia. Promoting longevity, the project combines guided conversations about the works on display with creative activities and meditation. By offering the scope for socialising and sharing, it strives to promote positive connections between caregivers and care recipients.