In December 2025, “Combating Loneliness and Promoting Active Ageing”, the master’s thesis linked to the AttivAzione project promoted by OPES, was presented at UNINT University in Rome.
The project was developed to tackle the isolation of older and more vulnerable people by reducing physical, digital and territorial barriers.
The work was presented by anthropologist Dr Caterina Angela Agus, who focused her research on the municipality of Sacrofano and the people who live there.
Risorse.news interviewed Dr Agus to explore the key features of the project, the reasons that led her to focus on the area and its residents, and the approach she adopted in carrying out her study.
Interview with Anthropologist Caterina Angela Agus
The project “Combating Loneliness and Promoting Active Ageing” aims to fight and prevent the isolation of the older population of Sacrofano, which, according to ISTAT 2023 data and TuttItalia (2024) analyses, is growing.
This isolation is caused by several factors, including:
- the distance between homes and essential services
- social distancing and reduced social networks (for example, the loss of a spouse and/or a smaller family support system)
- architectural barriers
- increasing digitalisation
The project’s objective is to promote and support digital inclusion – understood as technological and social inclusion – while strengthening networks, autonomy and social participation among older people, and facilitating access to public services, both digital and local.
After explaining the reasons behind her interest in the municipality of Sacrofano, Dr Agus introduced the concept of the digital divide.
The digital issue creates a gap and a form of isolation not only at a technological level, but also at a social one, generating a range of difficulties for all citizens, especially older adults.
“According to ISTAT data, the municipality of Sacrofano has a significant population aged over 65,” Dr Agus explains.
“It was therefore reasonable to assume that this part of the population could be affected by this phenomenon. On the one hand, I focused on raising awareness about the use of these technologies; on the other, I tried to address this phenomenon of isolation, which is also linked to the worsening of a whole range of cognitive functions, physical frailty, increased depression, and consequently even higher mortality.”
Among the models presented by Dr Agus to facilitate social inclusion and combat isolation are the activation of a digital civil service and two workshops:
- “Digital Grandparents”, involving students from Istituto Pitocco
- activities with the municipal nursery school “Cerquetta”
“The ‘Digital Grandparents’ workshop with students from Istituto Pitocco is based on reciprocal learning between students and older adults,” says Dr Agus.
“It is built on the principle of exchanging skills and practical activities, which should help foster intergenerational relationships while also supporting the development of transversal skills.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of the Project
At the end of the 12-month work plan, Dr Agus envisaged a final feedback event.
“The idea is to organise a final event to present what the project has achieved, obviously through the collaboration of all project partners, each with their own role,” explains the anthropologist.
“What I believe could be particularly important is to maintain the digital help desk that was envisioned within the Municipal Library ‘Al tempo ritrovato’. This is because the Municipal Library has historically been a place where activities of this kind have taken place and is, moreover, a very lively and active space.”
Sacrofano is only a starting point, as the project designed to combat isolation was conceived to be implemented in other municipalities as well.
Dr Caterina Angela Agus herself described it as “a replicable model”:
“This type of project was also designed around a relatively modest budget, precisely because it makes extensive use of in-kind resources, so it can easily be adapted to other contexts, perhaps even with improvements compared to the actions planned here.”
Finally, Dr Agus emphasised that if different types of resources are made available – including financial resources, staff and infrastructure, as well as support from volunteering and the municipality itself:
“It is possible to maintain good project sustainability and, for this very reason, it can be replicated in other areas without major difficulties.”
