Integrated Care and Geriatrics: A Call to Renovation from the COVID-19 Pandemic

In recent decades, we have witnessed the progressive aging of the world population. According to the latest global demographic estimates by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations, people aged 65 years or older represented 9% of the entire population in 2019 (1). It is well-established that the risk of severe health-related events increases with age. Thus it is not surprising that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown once more how the older adults and the frailest subjects are particularly exposed to adverse outcomes (2). The often neglected problems of geriatrics are today evident (at least, for those who want to see them), and indicate the need to reshape our healthcare systems according to characteristics of the older population.