INRCA is the Italian leading public healthcare and research institute in gerontology and geriatrics. The mission of INRCA is to ensure to older patients the excellence in care and assistance and to contribute to the scientific progress through basic, clinical and social research that can be transferred to the National Health Care Service. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of INRCA’s mission, its research activity aims institutionally at: promoting health and well-being in older people and their family carers; implementing and monitoring support services and policies addressing the needs of the older population, especially if frail and disabled. Basic and applied research is developed by interdisciplinary work in the bio-medical, clinical and social fields and  involves 45 full time researchers and 169 physicians. Four lines of research are implemented: (1) Biogerontology; (2) Prevention and treatment of frailty and geriatric syndromes; (3) use of drugs in older people, including adverse drug reactions and inappropriate drug use; (4) Multidimensional assessment and continuity of care.

INRCA has gained great experience in large scale European projects on ageing in EC -FP5, FP6 and FP7. The most recent ones are SMILING, FP7-ICT-GA-215493 (2008-10) (Coordinator); HAPPY AGEING AAL-2008-1-(Coordinator) (2009-2011). Recently, INRCA has acted as a partner in the WIISEL, ROBOT-ERA, SENATOR projects funded by FP7.

The clinical research and healthcare for older people is provided in four different hospitals in three regions in Italy (Marche, Lombardia and Calabria). The largest INRCA hospital is the research hospital in Ancona, named POR Ancona U. Sestilli