This 8-week in-person program is for spousal care partners of people 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:
Thursdays from 10:00am–12:00pm, starting June 11th and ending July 30th.

• Week 1 – June 11, 2026
• Week 2 – June 18, 2026
• Week 3 – June 25, 2026
• Week 4 – July 2, 2026
• Week 5 – July 9, 2026
• Week 6 – July 16, 2026
• Week 7 – July 23, 2026
• Week 8 – July 30, 2026

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.

Screening and an assessment are prerequisites for registration. Registration closes on Monday June 8, 2026.
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.

If you are interested in a future session, please Click Here to fill in the expression of interest form.