SILVIO Berlusconi stepped out of a shiny black limousine on May 9 to begin serving his sentence for tax fraud at a hospice for Alzheimer’s patients outside Milan.

Scores of reporters were kept at a distance from the entrance to the hospice. Italy’s former prime minister gave a nod in their direction but ignored their shouted questions before disappearing into the hospice to start his first day of up to a year of community service.

The only incident came after his arrival when a man who said he was a health service trade unionist shouted that Berlusconi should be in jail. “We workers have a dream in our hearts — Berlusconi in San Vittore [a Milan prison],” he yelled before being escorted away by security men.

The 77-year-old leader of the Italian right was convicted last year and given a four-year sentence. Three years were taken off because of the continuing effects of an amnesty passed by a centre-left government in 2006, and under legislation approved when Berlusconi was in office convicted criminals over the age of 70 cannot be sent to prison. He will work at the hospice once a week.

He begins his sentence at a low point in his fortunes. Polls have shown that his party, Forza Italia, is trailing third in the run-up to the European elections this month. Though expelled from the Italian parliament and banned from standing in the election, Berlusconi is nevertheless fronting his party’s campaign.

Politics are not the only thing going badly for him. According to a report in Friday’s edition of the weekly news magazine L’Espresso, his estranged wife, Veronica Lario, is demanding a divorce settlement of more than 500 million euro. Berlusconi, a TV magnate, has a fortune estimated at around 6.5bn euro.

Officials at the Catholic hospice in Cesano Boscone have stressed that he will not be allowed to use his community service for political showmanship. But, while complaining that he was unjustly convicted, Berlusconi has so far shown every intention of taking his new role seriously.

“I think that in the end I will stay a lot longer than I have to,” he told a radio interviewer recently, adding cryptically: “I have a big surprise ready.”

Berlusconi said he had spent 10 days learning about the treatment of Alzheimer’s patients. Emilio Fede, a former TV newscaster who was found guilty of procuring prostitutes for his employer’s so-called bunga bunga parties, said Berlusconi would carry out his community service “well and with humanity”.

This month, Massimo Restelli, head of the hospice’s care services, told the daily La Repubblica that Berlusconi would get a gradual introduction to the work.

“We go forward with tiny steps here,” he said.

Patients often responded better to one particular assistant in the hospice. “We shall see whether Mr Berlusconi’s presence will create some sort of special relationship,” he said.

Once he was familiar with his work, Restelli said, the former prime minister could help with meals, “which are a very delicate aspect [of the care] because it may be necessary to remind the patient that he or she is eating”. He said giving baths was more problematic because of the physical strength needed.

—By arrangement with the Guardian