This 8-week online program is for adult child care partners of people with mid- to late-stage dementia (this typically means people caring for a parent, but can include anyone who is the primary unpaid caregiver of a person with dementia).

Developed by the Reitman Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital, CARERS is a comprehensive dementia care support group that supports problem-solving skill development and introduces the innovative use of standardized patients – actors trained to simulate real-life situations – so that caregivers, guided by expert clinical coaches, will learn how to address communication challenges. Alzheimer Society of Durham Region made an excellent video that encapsulates the program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaB0aHqBC98

Goals of the Program:

• Enhance practical skills for caregivers
• Improve caregivers’ coping and problem-solving skills
• Enhance caregivers’ confidence in dealing with challenges
• Improve caregivers’ communication skills

Session dates:
Tuesdays from 6:00pm–8:00pm, starting January 12th and ending March 2nd.

• Week 1 – January 12, 2027 – 6:00pm-8:00pm
• Week 2 – January 19, 2027 – 6:00pm-8:00pm
• Week 3 – January 26, 2027 – 6:00pm-8:00pm
• Week 4 – February 2, 2027 – 6:00pm-8:00pm
• Week 5 – February 9, 2027 – 6:00pm-8:00pm
• Week 6 – February 16, 2027 – 6:00pm-8:00pm
• Week 7 – February 23, 2027 – 6:00pm-8:00pm
• Week 8 – March 2, 2027 – 6:00pm-8:00pm

Please note, participants are expected to commit to all 8 sessions listed above. Kindly register only if these dates work for you.
If this schedule does not work for you at this time, you are encouraged to check out our ongoing support groups that are available for registration month-to-month. See a list of upcoming support groups here.

A phone screening and an assessment are prerequisites for registration. Registration closes on Tuesday January 5th, 2027.

An Enhancing Care Clinician in the Social Work Department will contact you for your phone screening and assessment. Phone screenings usually take 10-15 minutes. Assessments can be done in-person or via Zoom and usually take 30-90 minutes.