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.

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:
Tuesdays from 10:30am–12:30pm, starting January 6th, ending February 24th

• Week 1 – January 6th
• Week 2 – January 13th
• Week 3 – January 20th
• Week 4 – January 27th
• Week 5 – February 3rd
• Week 6 – February 10th
• Week 7 – February 17th
• Week 8 – February 24th

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.

Registration and an assessment appointment (in-person or via Zoom) are prerequisites. Registration closes on Friday January 2nd.
An Enhancing Care Clinician in the Social Work Department will contact you for your assessment.

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

This 8-week online program is for adult child 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.

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 10:30am–12:30pm, starting January 15th, ending March 5th.

• Week 1 – January 15th
• Week 2 – January 22nd
• Week 3 – January 29th
• Week 4 – February 5th
• Week 5 – February 12th
• Week 6 – February 19th
• Week 7 – February 26th
• Week 8 – March 5th

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.

Registration and an assessment appointment (in-person or via Zoom) are prerequisites. Registration closes on Monday January 12th.
An Enhancing Care Clinician in the Social Work Department will contact you for your assessment.

Losing someone who had dementia can be a unique and complex experience for those who cared for them.
This presentation will explore these issues, identify various approaches to grief, and suggest ways for care partners to cope with loss.

This workshop will incorporate a support group element.

Workshop will be presented using Zoom.
Registration is required to receive the Zoom link to participate.

This workshop will provide care partners with an overview of Alzheimer’s disease focusing on the importance of early diagnosis and illustrates the progression of the disease.

This session is intended for care partners to a person living with dementia.

Topics:

• Gain a greater understanding of the process of diagnosis and medications available
• Develop a better, over-all understanding of dementia
• Increase your knowledge of the stages and progression of Alzheimer’s disease
• Better the caregiver’s insight into the person with dementia (PWD)
• Learn about community services and supports

Workshop will be presented using Zoom.
Registration is required to receive the Zoom link to participate.

This workshop is for care partners of individuals living with dementia. The focus of the session will be on exploring significant sources of conflict for families dealing with dementia and strategies for assisting families, building on strengths and resilience.

For Family and Friends of people living with dementia.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify family dynamics and their effects on families
• Explore significant sources of conflict for families dealing with dementia
• Explore strategies for assisting families, building on strength and resilience
• Develop an understanding of supportive services in the community

Workshop will be presented online via Zoom.
Registration is required to receive the Zoom link to participate.

Explore the concept of ambiguous loss, develop coping strategies and gain understanding of feelings of grief when caring for a person with dementia.

This session is for care partners of persons living with dementia in the mid-to-late stages.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the concept of Ambiguous Loss
• Recognize the uniqueness and complexity of Ambiguous Loss
• Explore concepts for learning to live with Ambiguous Loss
• Develop an understanding of supportive services in the community

Workshop will be presented using Zoom.
Registration is required to receive the Zoom link to participate.

The focus of the session will be on exploring the concept of denial and anosognosia, how it impacts persons with dementia and their care partners, and strategies for assisting families.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore the concept of denial and anosognosia
• Identify how denial impacts persons with dementia and their care partners
• Explore behaviours and strategies for responding
• Develop an understanding of supportive services in the community

This workshop provides an overview of behaviours in dementia and communicating in a supportive manner. It will focus on providing participants with the knowledge of how behaviours and communication can change over the course of the disease and ways to supportively communicate with a person living with dementia.

For care partners to a person living with dementia.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize that behaviour is a form of communication
• Describe how dementia impacts communication
• Recall communication strategies that can be used to support people living with dementia
• Discuss the meaning of behaviours in dementia and ways to offer support

Workshop will be presented online via Zoom.
Registration is required to receive the Zoom link to participate.

Mid-Town Social focuses on social wellness for people living with dementia and their care partners. This series offers opportunities to build meaningful connections through shared creative and social experiences.

In this session, art educator Jano Cortijo will guide us through an exploration of nature in art, with a focus on fruit as a subject. Often the stars of still life paintings, fruits carry a wide range of symbolism and meaning. Together, we’ll explore artworks that feature fruit and create our own pieces inspired by their forms and colours.

About the Facilitator:
Jano Cortijo is an arts educator who engages audiences of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds in museums, classrooms, community centres, and online spaces. His practice highlights artists and artworks often excluded from mainstream conversations, encouraging participants to connect their own histories and stories with the art they encounter.

Following the art activity, participants are invited to share a meal together to continue the conversation and connection.

Image caption:

Francisco Oller, Guanabanas, 1948
Oil on canvas, 18 x 37 inches

This session is geared towards care partners and will explore the following:

• An overview of dementia
• The connection between music and dementia
• The benefits of personalized music for people living with dementia
• An overview of the Alzheimer’s Society Music Project to help individuals with dementia reconnect with the soundtrack of their lives.