U-First!® for Health Care Professionals supports health care and other service providers who work with people living with dementia or other cognitive impairments. U-First!® builds on existing curriculum and encourages learners to make lifelong learning a goal. The vision is to provide every member of the care team with consistent education on key skills and best care practices. It sets the stage for common knowledge, language for communicating with all members of the care team (including informal care partners), and a comprehensive approach to care.

This program is for personal support workers and other front-line health care workers (including dietary, rehabilitation and social service staff, activationists, nurses, and health care students).

We highly recommend that you take Dementia Foundations prior to registering to this course.

 

Date and Time: 
Tuesday, November 17th from 9:00am to 4:00pm

 

Program is presented using Zoom.

Registration is required. [When registering, please ensure the email provided is one you have regular access to. In the unlikely event of cancellations or other changes, we will reach out to you via email]
Please ensure you are registering for the correct funding (Community or LTC)

Registration deadline is Wednesday, November 4th, 2026

 

U-First!® for Health Care Professionals supports health care and other service providers who work with people living with dementia or other cognitive impairments. U-First!® builds on existing curriculum and encourages learners to make lifelong learning a goal. The vision is to provide every member of the care team with consistent education on key skills and best care practices. It sets the stage for common knowledge, language for communicating with all members of the care team (including informal care partners), and a comprehensive approach to care.

This program is for personal support workers and other front-line health care workers (including dietary, rehabilitation and social service staff, activationists, nurses, and health care students).

We highly recommend that you take Dementia Foundations prior to registering to this course.

 

Date and Time: 
Tuesday, August 25th from 9:00am to 4:00pm

 

Program is presented using Zoom.

Registration is required. [When registering, please ensure the email provided is one you have regular access to. In the unlikely event of cancellations or other changes, we will reach out to you via email]
Please ensure you are registering for the correct funding (Community or LTC)

Registration deadline is Thursday, August 13th, 2026

 

U-First!® for Health Care Professionals supports health care and other service providers who work with people living with dementia or other cognitive impairments. U-First!® builds on existing curriculum and encourages learners to make lifelong learning a goal. The vision is to provide every member of the care team with consistent education on key skills and best care practices. It sets the stage for common knowledge, language for communicating with all members of the care team (including informal care partners), and a comprehensive approach to care.

This program is for personal support workers and other front-line health care workers (including dietary, rehabilitation and social service staff, activationists, nurses, and health care students).

We highly recommend that you take Dementia Foundations prior to registering to this course.

 

Date and Time: 
Thursday, June 11th from 9:00am to 4:00pm

 

Program is presented using Zoom.

Registration is required. [When registering, please ensure the email provided is one you have regular access to. In the unlikely event of cancellations or other changes, we will reach out to you via email]
Please ensure you are registering for the correct funding (Community or LTC)

Registration deadline is Sunday, May 31st, 2026

 

T.R.U.S.T. (The Recognition and Understanding of Sensitive Topics) in Dementia Care is designed for frontline healthcare staff who are working with persons living with dementia who may exhibit responsive behaviours that can be understood as hurtful or inappropriate and why they occur.

Helpful strategies in addressing these behaviours and building resilience for ourselves will be discussed.

 

Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 12th from 11:00am – 12:30pm

 

Workshop will be presented using Zoom.
Registration is required.

T.R.U.S.T. (The Recognition and Understanding of Sensitive Topics) in Dementia Care is designed for frontline healthcare staff who are working with persons living with dementia who may exhibit responsive behaviours that can be understood as hurtful or inappropriate and why they occur.

Helpful strategies in addressing these behaviours and building resilience for ourselves will be discussed.

 

Date and Time:
Thursday, August 13th from 10:00am – 11:30am

 

Workshop will be presented using Zoom.
Registration is required.

*NOTE* This program assumes that you have basic working knowledge of dementia. Before taking the Palliative Care Workshop, it is highly recommended that you have at least one of the following:

1. Dementia Foundations
2. Dementia 101 self paced module on AlzEducate
3. Dementia Overview – live session delivered via Zoom or AlzEducate (check our events calendar for dates)
4. Experience working with people with dementia

 

Description
This training program is aimed at enhancing the knowledge of frontline staff in caring for people with dementia using a palliative care approach. This program focuses on promoting quality of life and comfort for individuals living with dementias and their families, with particular emphasis on late stage and end of life. Participants will explore their own beliefs around dying and how it impacts care as well as examine what a palliative care approach means through a dementia lens.

Learning Objectives:

• Reflect on different values & beliefs on dying and how it impacts care
• Define palliative care
• Describe dementia as a terminal condition and its symptoms in late/end of life stages
• Review Dementia-Specific Palliative Care Goals/Values that provide comfort and support quality of life in advanced and end-of-life dementia
• Relate concepts of culture, spirituality and communication and their significance in delivering person-centered care
• Addressing unattended grief as a healthcare provider and its impact on delivering person-centered care

 

Date and Time: 
Tuesday, March 9th from 10:00am to 1:00pm

 

Please Read Before Registering
At the Alzheimer Society of Toronto, we are committed to providing accessible education opportunities to health care professionals. When participants are unable to attend and do not cancel their registration, it limits access for others.
If you are unable to attend a session you’ve registered for, please notify us as soon as possible! This allows us to offer the spot to someone else.
Please note that repeated absences without notice will result in restrictions on future registrations.
By registering for this session, you are agreeing to the statement above

 

Program will be presented online using Zoom. Registration is required.

Dementia Foundations: The first step in your dementia education journey.

This 3-hour course will provide you with a foundation of dementia, enabling you to enhance your knowledge in providing quality care for persons living with dementia.

By the end of this 3 hour course, learners will be able to:

• Describe Person-Centered Care
• Describe general aspects of aging, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Interpret how changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease will affect all aspects of an individual’s life
• Recognize that challenging behaviour is responsive behaviour
• Recall services and programs offered by the local Alzheimer Society for professionals, people living with dementia and their care partners

Learners are highly encouraged to take this course before registering for U-First! or Palliative care to enhance the learning experience.

 

Workshop will be presented using Zoom. Registration is required.
Registration deadline is Friday, January 15th, 2027.

Dementia Foundations: The first step in your dementia education journey.

This 3-hour course will provide you with a foundation of dementia, enabling you to enhance your knowledge in providing quality care for persons living with dementia.

By the end of this 3 hour course, learners will be able to:

• Describe Person-Centered Care
• Describe general aspects of aging, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Interpret how changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease will affect all aspects of an individual’s life
• Recognize that challenging behaviour is responsive behaviour
• Recall services and programs offered by the local Alzheimer Society for professionals, people living with dementia and their care partners

Learners are highly encouraged to take this course before registering for U-First! or Palliative care to enhance the learning experience.

 

Workshop will be presented using Zoom. Registration is required.
Registration deadline is Thursday, October 22nd, 2026.

*NOTE* This program assumes that you have basic working knowledge of dementia. Before taking the Palliative Care Workshop, it is highly recommended that you have at least one of the following:

1. Dementia Foundations
2. Dementia 101 self paced module on AlzEducate
3. Dementia Overview – live session delivered via Zoom or AlzEducate (check our events calendar for dates)
4. Experience working with people with dementia

 

Description
This training program is aimed at enhancing the knowledge of frontline staff in caring for people with dementia using a palliative care approach. This program focuses on promoting quality of life and comfort for individuals living with dementias and their families, with particular emphasis on late stage and end of life. Participants will explore their own beliefs around dying and how it impacts care as well as examine what a palliative care approach means through a dementia lens.

Learning Objectives:

• Reflect on different values & beliefs on dying and how it impacts care
• Define palliative care
• Describe dementia as a terminal condition and its symptoms in late/end of life stages
• Review Dementia-Specific Palliative Care Goals/Values that provide comfort and support quality of life in advanced and end-of-life dementia
• Relate concepts of culture, spirituality and communication and their significance in delivering person-centered care
• Addressing unattended grief as a healthcare provider and its impact on delivering person-centered care

 

Date and Time: 
Tuesday, September 15th from 10:00am to 1:00pm

 

Please Read Before Registering
At the Alzheimer Society of Toronto, we are committed to providing accessible education opportunities to health care professionals. When participants are unable to attend and do not cancel their registration, it limits access for others.
If you are unable to attend a session you’ve registered for, please notify us as soon as possible! This allows us to offer the spot to someone else.
Please note that repeated absences without notice will result in restrictions on future registrations.
By registering for this session, you are agreeing to the statement above

 

Program will be presented online using Zoom. Registration is required.

Dementia Foundations: The first step in your dementia education journey.

This 3-hour course will provide you with a foundation of dementia, enabling you to enhance your knowledge in providing quality care for persons living with dementia.

By the end of this 3 hour course, learners will be able to:

• Describe Person-Centered Care
• Describe general aspects of aging, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Interpret how changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease will affect all aspects of an individual’s life
• Recognize that challenging behaviour is responsive behaviour
• Recall services and programs offered by the local Alzheimer Society for professionals, people living with dementia and their care partners

Learners are highly encouraged to take this course before registering for U-First! or Palliative care to enhance the learning experience.

 

Workshop will be presented using Zoom. Registration is required.
Registration deadline is Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026.