This study explores the ageing experiences of older migrant caregivers in Italy, focusing on the intersections of ageing, work, and care. In a country where elder care is largely delegated to migrant women, a significant share of this workforce is itself ageing: the median age is 52, and nearly a third are over 60 (Domina, 2024). These women often continue working beyond retirement age, navigating physical, emotional, and economic challenges in later life.

Drawing on a life course perspective (Gardner, 2009), the analysis considers how ageing is shaped by personal histories, working conditions, and socio-political contexts, as well as by intersections of gender, race, class, and migration (Holman and Walker, 2020). Central to this approach is the situated knowledge (Haraway, 1988) of caregivers who, through their dual roles as workers and ageing subjects, possess an embodied understanding of ageing. Their perspectives resonate with standpoint theory (Harding, 1991; Collins, 1990), offering critical insights into power structures shaping ageing experiences.

The research is based on 68 qualitative interviews with migrant caregivers aged 59 to 74, conducted in five Italian cities—Venice, Padua, Bologna, Modena, and Naples—to reflect regional diversity. Findings show that ageing well is associated with autonomy, good health, and continued work, while future plans hinge on place, activity, and care—each marked by family dynamics. These trajectories call for inclusive, gender- and migration-sensitive policies, and a shift in focus: from the care they gave to the care they now need.

Introduction: Support for unpaid care is receiving increasing attention from policy makers in Europe and internationally, as shown also by the European Commission’s directive on paid care leave (2019), its Care Strategy (2022), and the recommendations formulated by several international organisations in this regard.

Methodology: This study analyses the policies adopted by Italian Regions (including the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano), using as a reference framework the dimensions proposed by international recommendations, grouped into three main categories: recognition, participation and information bases; support measures and services; transversal aspects.

Results: Core results can be summarised as follows: 1) definitions of carer range from more restrictive and familistic formulations (based on kinship bonds) to more inclusive meanings (based on affective bonds, in line with international recommendations), reflecting a quite
variegated approach about “who” may deserve public support; 2) the presence of a framework law dedicated to unpaid carers is no guarantee of an adequate support, as this is often better ensured by other provisions, like those adopting (and funding) concrete interventions and measures; 3) this applies also to support services and measures, mainly concentrated on few categories: access to services (especially respite and home care), information and training, monetary benefits; 4) less attention is paid to transversal aspects like gender equity, intergenerational relations and digital solutions.

Conclusions: A key element - beyond the various forms that carer support takes in different regions - is that the extent of such support is closely linked to the amount of resources allocated.

This paper aims at questioning Courts and Policy makers about the impact of the emerging concept of intersectional discrimination into EU law, with specific regard to the regulation of employment in the care sector. To address this issue, the analysis must consider several key contextual factors.

In Italy, the elderly care system operates under a “family welfare” model, in which the responsibility for care is primarily borne by families. This care is either provided informally by family members or outsourced through paid domestic work.

Domestic work represents a marginalised segment of the labour market for several reasons:

a) Law No. 339 of 2 April 1958, which governs this sector, has never been updated;

b) Regulation relies heavily on collective bargaining, which is highly fragmented;

c) The sector has a high prevalence of irregular and undeclared work, largely due to the significant presence of migrant workers.

Domestic work is marked by pronounced gender and racial disparities. The overrepresentation of migrant women in this sector may expose them to forms of gender, race or intersectional discrimination.

EU law has recently incorporated the concept of intersectional discrimination in several European Directives - specifically (EU) 2023/970, 2024/1385, 2024/1500 and 2024/1499. This paper explores the possible implications of recognising intersectionality as a legally enforceable concept on the regulation of domestic work. Specifically, it asks whether such recognition can strengthen legal protections and help mitigate the multiple forms of labour exploitation faced by (migrant) women in the care sector.

Population ageing in Italy is reshaping both the demand for and provision of care. While increased longevity marks a demographic success, it also raises pressing questions about who provides care, and for how long. In the context of low fertility, delayed retirement, and weakening informal support networks, understanding how caregiving roles are distributed across the life course becomes essential. This study estimates care-involved and care-free life expectancy in Italy, comparing 1998 and 2016. Using data from the Family and Social Subjects Survey (ISTAT) and official mortality life tables, we apply the Sullivan method to integrate age-specific caregiving prevalence into period life expectancy estimates. Preliminary results show that although overall life expectancy has increased, the time spent providing informal care has also grown, particularly for mid-life women. The share of life spent in caregiving roles has risen in relative terms, suggesting a concentration on informal care responsibilities during key working and family formation years. These findings offer a new perspective on the pressures facing ageing societies and highlight the need to reconsider the role of informal care within broader welfare systems.

Background: ICare.IT–AvereCura is a longitudinal study aimed at monitoring the psychological, social, and occupational well-being of family caregivers of individuals with dementia.

Materials and Methods: Enrollment began nationally in January 2025. Data are collected via online questionnaires through a dedicated web platform. Caregivers living in the Bologna and Ravenna districts are offered the choice to use, in addition, three wearable sensors to objectively measure physical activity, sleep, and heart rate. Assessments are planned at baseline (T0), 6 months, and 12 months post-enrollment. Recruitment is primarily conducted through caregiver associations.

Preliminary Results: After six months of recruitment, 62 participants participated in both questionnaire completion and the protocol with wearable sensors at T0, while 32 chose to complete only the questionnaires at T0. From the preliminary analysis of the first 47 participants consecutively recruited, 36 completed the full set of questionnaires. The user experience with wearable devices was generally positive. The wrist sensor received the highest rating, followed by the ankle sensor. The chest sensor was mainly worn by caregivers over 65 years of age and received a good rating, while the arm sensor was used primarily by caregivers under 65 years of age and rated lower. Overall satisfaction with wearable devices showed a moderate positive correlation with age (Spearman’s rho = 0.42,p = 0.006). Older caregivers reported higher satisfaction overall and specifically with the ankle sensor.

Conclusions: ICare.IT–AvereCura is among the first Italian studies to comprehensively monitor the well-being of family caregivers of individuals with dementia through the integration of wearable technology. The use of wearable devices in caregiver monitoring appears both feasible and well accepted, particularly among older adults. Further data collection is ongoing.

A fronte del progressivo invecchiamento della popolazione, il diritto privato italiano è chiamato a rispondere al bisogno di un quadro giuridico per la figura del caregiver, al contempo garantendo una effettiva tutela della persona anziana. Attualmente, manca una disciplina organica che riconosca in modo adeguato il caregiver, cioè colui che presta assistenza in modo spontaneo, gratuito e continuativo a soggetti fragili o non autosufficienti. Le norme esistenti, come quelle dettate con l. 205/2017 e d.lgs. 29/2024, offrono un riconoscimento parziale e limitato al contesto familiare, escludendo altri soggetti e senza assicurare un sistema efficace di tutele. L’interrogativo è trasversale – dal diritto del lavoro a quello civile – ed evidenzia l’assenza di un inquadramento sistematico e la faticosità nell’emersione di diritti e doveri propri dei rapporti di cura. Fondamentale è il confronto con la riforma spagnola sulla “guarda de hecho”, che dà veste giuridica a tali relazioni di fatto. Parallelamente, si riflette sulla necessità di tutelare i diritti delle persone anziane, senza incorrere nel rischio di categorizzazioni discriminatorie. In quest’ottica, il ruolo della sanità digitale e della telemedicina emerge come leva strategica per migliorare l’accessibilità alle cure. Sembra infine auspicabile l’istituzione di un Garante nazionale per i diritti degli anziani, figura oggi presente solo a livello locale.

Persistent demographic trends, as characterised by declining fertility and raising longevity, leads to population ageing as a critical political, social, and economic phenomenon. This is true for all OECD countries, especially for Italy.

The goal of this work is to project the demographic and economic implications of population ageing for Italy over the coming decades by adopting a dynamic microsimulation approach. The model, named AGIT (Ageing in ITaly), builds upon microWELT (Spielauer et al., 2020). Starting from the official ISTAT projections on demographic forces, AGIT uses SILC microdata to calibrate the initial population and to model individual transitions across various states (marital status, labor market activity). AGIT uses also SHARE data to calibrate transitions across different levels of self-sufficiency, with the latter measured in terms of limitations of daily activities (ADLs and IADLs). Results are presented in terms of household dynamics, LTC needs and expenditure, and labor market activity.

Population ageing deteriorates the health condition of the Italian population and affects the dynamics of family formation, resulting in higher portion of single individuals without children. Kinlessness plays a role in identifying individuals declaring bad health, especially among women. At first instance, they can be considered as potential care receivers who will not receive informal assistance at home from their partners nor children. Results also show that, since most of LTC assistance is often covered informally by household and non-household members, increasing singleship and childlessness will raise the required required amount of LTC assistance that, instead, is unmet by the current level of provision. As expected, public and private expenditure on LTC is expected to increase.
The model AGIT represents a valid policy tool to project alternative scenarios and conduct cost-benefit analysis of specific public interventions. This will enable policymakers to have a quantitative comprehension of the main implications of population aging in Italy and, along a data-driven approach, to formulate adaptive and corrective policies.