Grandparents, the pillars of Apulian families: 1 in 3 saves the household budget.

In Puglia, one in three grandparents represents a real lifeline for the family budget, squeezed between inflation and the cost of services. This is what emerges from an analysis by Coldiretti Puglia of Senior Federanziani data, released on the occasion of the World Day of Grandparents and Elderly , promoted by Pope Francis , which is celebrated on Sunday, July 27 .

Apulian seniors not only help their families financially , but often replace babysitters, after-school workers, or domestic workers , also contributing to their children's work. Meanwhile, Puglia continues to see record growth in the over-64 population: 891,000 residents , with a 36.1% increase among those over 85 in just a few years, from 96,000 to 131,000 .

Silent but decisive presence

"As in the best agricultural tradition," explains Angelo Marseglia , president of Senior Coldiretti Puglia, "the presence of older people in the home is an added value , especially in families where both parents work. Grandparents are a pillar of an invisible but fundamental family welfare system ."

Their role goes far beyond the economic sphere: they are custodians of memory, culture, and healthy eating . Coldiretti emphasizes how they are often the ones who transmit the principles of the Mediterranean diet , based on products such as bread, pasta, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, and fruit , often accompanied by the traditional glass of wine. This eating style has contributed to one of the highest life expectancies in the world , with 77.9 years for men and 83.6 for women in Italy, despite the post-pandemic decline.

A celebration with Italian and American roots

World Grandparents' Day was established in 2021 by Pope Francis , but also has origins overseas: born in the United States on the initiative of Marian McQuade , a housewife from West Virginia, mother of 15 children and grandmother of 40 grandchildren, it was officially proclaimed in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter , later Nobel Peace Prize winner.

An opportunity to remember how the elderly are a silent but irreplaceable pillar of society. And in Puglia, more than anywhere else, they are a resource to be protected .

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