assistito

Assistito is an Italian noun meaning “a person who is assisted,” used primarily in legal and welfare contexts to refer to someone whose interests receive protection or support. The term signals a person who may have limited autonomy but whose civil capacity remains in many respects intact, requiring assistance rather than full substitution of decision-making.

In the legal system, the assistito is central to the amministratione di sostegno (administration of support), a protective measure designed to help adults with diminished autonomy while avoiding full guardianship. An amministratore di sostegno (support administrator) is appointed by a court and operates under a decree that specifies the powers granted and the acts covered. The assistito retains core civil rights and can perform many actions with appropriate support; the administrator assists, represents for specific acts, and must act in the person’s best interests. The system aims to preserve the individual’s autonomy and dignity, adapting to changing needs over time.

Outside guardianship, assistito is widely used in health and social care to designate the recipient of services—the patient, client, or user of welfare provisions. In these settings, the term emphasizes the provision of assistance rather than medical status, and the precise role of assistance can vary by context. Depending on circumstances, related terms such as paziente (patient) or utente (user) are used to reflect the nature of care or service being provided.

See also: amministrazione di sostegno, tutore, curatore, paziente, utente.