Caregiving in the 21st Century Overview: The main goal of the Caregiving in the 21st Century conference is to improve the lives of caregivers through:  the generation and mobilization of new knowledge; the exchange of knowledge on the status of caregiver policy and practice; and the formation of new partnerships around four main themes: 1.    A Care Work Force in Crisis 2.    The Future of Families and Caregiving 3.    Poverty and Caregiving 4.    Technology and Connectedness Specific objectives of the conference include: identify caregiver trends and the subsequent policy and practice strategies; exchange information and ideas to improve awareness and understanding of caregiver issues and their impact; promote partnerships and networks globally among stakeholders comprising researchers, policymakers, non-governmental organisations, service providers, advocates and caregivers;   identify points of common interest and experience globally, as well as points of divergence across the stakeholders; and build on bodies of knowledge from associate national and regional caregiver conferences.  1. A Care Work Force in Crisis The family and friend care sector represents a formidable unpaid work force in its own right. But it is a workforce under pressure because of increasing demands and higher expectations about the nature and level of care provided. Caregiving is known to have both positive aspects that contribute to resilience in the family and broader community, and negative consequences for one’s personal, economic, physical and social well-being--consequences that threaten its sustainability. How these elements play out also varies across international social, economic and policy contexts. For this theme, abstracts are invited that speak to the tension between the positive and negative consequences and the expectations of future caregivers. Of particular interest will be abstracts addressing factors that place caregivers at high risk, and best policies and practices that challenge assumptions and projections about the caregiving workforce and its interface with the formal social and health care systems. 2. The Future of Families and Caregiving Families, the fabric of society, are being transformed in many countries by way of changing fertility rates, delayed marriage and childbearing, higher rates of divorce and remarriage, greater geographic mobility; and higher rates of labour force participation among women. Prevailing trends suggest that this transformation will affect the supply and nature of family care in the future, at a time when both the demand for and expected level of care may increase. For this theme, abstracts are invited that describe these family transformations around the globe, address the expectations for family care in the future, examine the social and economic implications of the potential transformation of family caregiving, and assess the mechanisms used by families to respond to the effects of demographic upheavals of population ageing, globalization and urbanization. 3. Poverty and Caregiving The financial impact of being a caregiver touches not only the individual caregiver but also their family, community and society.  It is a systemic issue that in some cases undermines the capacity to continue as a caregiver and the ability to resume a rewarding life after caregiving ends.  For some, poverty is at the bottom of the slippery slope of caring.  Care-related expenses, reduced income because of employment consequences and lack of public supports for caregivers are placing family and friend caregivers at risk.. Employment consequences are of particular concern for sustainability of the family and friend care sector and of the labour force, as well as for productivity in the workplace and of the economy as a whole. For this theme abstracts are invited that explore the economic consequences of caregiving at the individual and/or societal level, and public and workplace policies that may reduce or off-set the financial impact of caring. 4. Technology and Connectedness Caregiving in this century will be shaped by the degree to which we embrace and explore technology as a vehicle to ‘connect’.  Caregiving at a distance will be a common theme whether it is due to economic or personal reasons, or because of migration (urban to rural, city to city, or trans-national). Ageing in place will be central to long term and continuing care programs in most countries of the world.  The human connection will not only be face-to-face but through increasingly accessible and sophisticated methods of communication, including social networking fora such as facebook, telepresence and Skype . Social entrepreneurs, innovators, caregivers and businesses in particular are invited to submit abstracts that respond to the question of how technology will influence how family caregiving will happen in this century.