This 8-week online 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:
Mondays from 10:30am–12:30pm, starting March 30th and ending May 25th.

• Week 1 – March 30, 2026
• Week 2 – April 6, 2026
• Week 3 – April 13, 2026
• Week 4 – April 20, 2026
• Week 5 – April 27, 2026
• Week 6 – May 4, 2026
• Week 7 – May 11, 2026
• *skip one week for Victoria Day*
• Week 8 – May 25, 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 Thursday March 26, 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.

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.

 

Please note this workshop is only for informal care partners (friends, family, etc) of a person living with dementia. This workshop is NOT for healthcare professionals.

Workshop will be presented using Zoom, registration required to receive link.

This workshop is an introduction to dementia, the different types of dementia, symptoms and progression of dementia, and the varying ways to support a person with dementia.

 

Learning Objectives:

 

• Understanding dementia as an umbrella term, and the most common types of dementia
• Reviewing dementia warning signs and the 8 A’s of dementia
• Creating an understanding of ways to support a person with dementia through timely diagnosis, medications and quality-of-life activities
• Learn about community services and supports

 

Please note this workshop is only for informal care partners (friends, family, etc) of a person living with dementia. This workshop is NOT for healthcare professionals.

Workshop will be presented using Zoom, registration required to receive link.

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.

 

Learning Objectives:

• Identifying family dynamics and their effects on families
• Exploring significant sources of conflict for families dealing with dementia
• Reviewing strategies for assisting families, building on strength and resilience

 

Please note this workshop is only for informal care partners (friends, family, etc) of a person living with dementia. This workshop is NOT for healthcare professionals.

Workshop will be presented using Zoom, registration required to receive link.

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

 

Learning Objectives:

• Describing the concept of Ambiguous Loss
• Recognizing the uniqueness and complexity of Ambiguous Loss
• Exploring concepts for learning to live with Ambiguous Loss
• Developing an understanding of supportive services in the community

 

Please note this workshop is only for informal care partners (friends, family, etc) of a person living with dementia. This workshop is NOT for healthcare professionals.

Workshop will be presented using Zoom, registration required to receive link.

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:

• Exploring the concept of denial and anosognosia, particularly, how they differ
• Identifying how denial impacts persons with dementia and their care partners
• Strategies for supporting someone through denial or anosognosia

 

Please note this workshop is only for informal care partners (friends, family, etc) of a person living with dementia. This workshop is NOT for healthcare professionals.

 

Workshop will be presented using Zoom, registration required to receive link.

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.

 

Learning Objectives:

• Learning how dementia impacts communication
• Recognizing that behaviour is a form of communication
• Discussing how to identify the meaning of behaviours in dementia and ways to offer support

 

Please note this workshop is only for informal care partners (friends, family, etc) of a person living with dementia. This workshop is NOT for healthcare professionals.

Workshop will be presented using Zoom, registration required to receive link.

 

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.