Supporting Family Caregivers Community of Practice

Professionals working in community-based, clinical settings who provide support services to family caregivers including spouses/partners, adult children, siblings, friends, among others, of persons with dementia are coming together to learn more about the needs and challenges of these caregivers and how best to support them given these needs.

This group connects with each other to explore how to advance the practice of providing psycho-social support or counseling to family caregivers of persons with dementia, by sharing information about issues related to caregiving in dementia, exploring interventions for caregivers and determining best practices. Leveraging what is known about best practice in providing this kind of support, will help members to further their individual and collective thinking about how best to support family caregivers.

• Join the Supporting Family Caregivers CoP
• Contact the Knowledge Broker

• Session 1: The 3-A Grief Intervention Model: Addressing Ambiguous Loss For Dementia Caregivers, Presenter: Eleanor Silverberg M.S.W., R.S.W. Social Worker, Alzheimer Society of York Region
  • Related Documents: Introducing The 3 A Grief Intervention Model for Dementia Caregivers: Acknowledge, Assess and Assist
• Session 2: Making a Difference - Impacting Caregiver Well-being Through an Evidence-Based Counseling and Support Intervention, Presenter: Mary S. Mittelman, DrPH, Center of Excellence on Brain Aging, NYU Langone Medical Center, email: Mary.Mittelman@nyumc.org
  • Related Documents: A Three-Country Randomized Controlled - Trial of a Psychosocial Intervention for Caregivers Combined With Pharmacological Treatment for Patients With Alzheimer Disease: Effects on Caregiver Depression; Improving caregiver well-being delays nursing home placement of patients with Alzheimer disease; Sustained Benefit of Supportive Intervention for Depressive Symptoms in caregivers of Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease

• An online forum to discuss topics, exchange ideas and share experiences with other CoP members.

• Alzheimer Society of Hamilton and Halton Counselling Protocol - This document was created by the Alzheimer Society of Hamilton and Halton to provide guidance and direction to Counsellors offering services to caregivers of persons with dementia. It is a work in progress and they are eager to hear from others about how it could be improved to incorporate best practices. To share your feedback, please contact Gabriela Luchsinger