Spousal CARERS Program
Categories: Support Groups
This 8-week in-person program is for spousal care partners of persons with mid- to late-stage dementia. Developed by the Reitman Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital, CARERS is a comprehensive dementia care program 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 explains 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’ social interaction and social support
Session dates:
Wednesdays from 3:00pm–5:00pm, starting March 17th and ending May 5th.
- Week 1 – Wednesday March 17th, 2027 – 3:00pm-5:00pm
- Week 2 – Wednesday March 24th, 2027 – 3:00pm-5:00pm
- Week 3 – Wednesday March 31st, 2027 – 3:00pm-5:00pm
- Week 4 – Wednesday April 7th, 2027 – 3:00pm-5:00pm
- Week 5 – Wednesday April 14th, 2027 – 3:00pm-5:00pm
- Week 6 – Wednesday April 21st, 2027 – 3:00pm-5:00pm
- Week 7 – Wednesday April 28th, 2027 – 3:00pm-5:00pm
- Week 8 – Wednesday May 5th, 2027 – 3:00pm-5:00pm
Please note, participants are expected to commit to all 8 sessions listed above. Kindly register only if these dates work for you.
If registration is closed or this schedule does not work for you at this time, you are encouraged to fill out the form on this webpage. Additionally, you can check out our ongoing support groups that are available for registration month-to-month. See a list of upcoming support groups here.
Screening and an assessment are prerequisites for registration. Registration closes on March 10th. An Enhancing Care Clinician in the Social Work Department will contact you for your 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.
