Four folders, not one list
Italian care home paperwork looks chaotic until you see that it falls into four groups, each with a different owner and a different clock. Organise it that way and the whole thing becomes manageable from another country.
1. The health folder — owned by the doctor
This is the folder that decides whether the application moves at all.
- the scheda sanitaria or equivalent medical record, completed by the medico di base on the form the specific home or the local health authority requires;
- a recent report from any treating specialist — geriatrician, neurologist, cardiologist;
- an up-to-date medication list;
- recent test results where relevant, and where dementia is involved, the cognitive assessment;
- vaccination record.
The word that matters here is *recent*. A report from last year describes a person who no longer exists administratively. If the situation has changed since it was written, ask for a new one before you file anything.
2. The identity folder — owned by your parent
- identity document and codice fiscale;
- tessera sanitaria, the health card;
- residence certificate, when the Comune is involved in the funding;
- proof of pension income.
If the identity document has expired, treat it as the first task and not an afterthought. Renewing it from abroad, for someone who cannot easily attend an appointment, is one of the slowest steps in the entire process.
3. The financial folder — owned by whoever handles the money
- the ISEE, the household economic indicator, needed whenever you ask the Comune to contribute to the accommodation fee;
- pension statements;
- bank and property details as required for the ISEE.
The ISEE is produced by a CAF, a tax assistance centre, or by a patronato, generally free of charge, and it expires — it is valid for the calendar year and must be renewed. Families regularly discover at the worst moment that theirs lapsed in January.
4. The legal folder — the one that takes longest
- a delega if your parent can still grant one;
- an amministratore di sostegno if they cannot.
The support administrator is appointed by a court, and it takes months. It is also the only route once capacity is lost. If there is any question about your parent capacity, this folder should be opened first, not last, because every other folder eventually needs a signature.
What expires, and when
| Document | Typical life |
|---|---|
| ISEE | the calendar year |
| Medical reports | months, in practice |
| Identity document | check it now, not later |
| Medication list | weeks — always ask for a fresh one |
How to send it
Ask each home how it wants to receive documents: many still work by PEC — certified email — or by post, and a scan sent to an ordinary address may sit unread.
Keep one complete digital copy yourself, named clearly, and share it with whoever is present in Italy. When a place comes free, the family that can send the full set within the hour keeps it. The family that has to start collecting does not.
*Curalune supports the search and the orientation. Curalune does not file applications on the family behalf and does not access personal or government accounts.*