In 1998, Baroness Jill Pitkeathley hosted the first international conference on family caregiving in London, England. Over 200 participants from Europe and North America attended. This meeting was the genesis of an international collaboration that resulted in the formation of the International Alliance of Carer Organizations (IACO).
Taking advantage of international aging and caregiver symposiums in Australia, the United States and other locations, representatives from various countries worked to develop the core structure and governance model of an international alliance.
Through the generous support of Eli Lilly, IACO held its inaugural meeting in Dublin, Ireland in May 2013. During this session, the seven founding countries came together to share their strategic directions, challenges and initiatives and to identify collective goals and common objectives for the Alliance. The founding members of IACO are:
- Care Alliance Ireland
- Carers Australia
- Carers Canada
- Carers New Zealand
- Carers Sweden
- Carers UK
- National Alliance for Caregiving (United States)