Caring from the Heart: Connecting through Emotion-Based Dementia Care

Caring for people living with dementia is deeply meaningful and often emotionally complex work. Caring from the Heart is designed to strengthen your confidence, awareness, and capacity to connect in ways that truly matter.

This four-hour, self-paced learning experience invites you into a powerful, story-driven journey that reimagines dementia care as a relational, emotion-based practice. Through a series of short, engaging modules (20–30 minutes each), you’ll step into the role of a care provider travelling the world to explore how compassion, connection, and healing are understood across cultures.

Along the way, you’ll experience a rich mix of learning activities that bring dementia care to life, including:

• Cinematic narrative videos that follow a care provider’s personal and professional journey 
• Podcasts and guided reflections to deepen your insight 
• Clinical simulations where you can practice responding to real-world scenarios 
• Evidence-based relational tools you can use immediately in your work 
• Mindfulness and heart-based practices to help you stay grounded and present 
• Knowledge checks and applied scenarios to reinforce learning 
• Pre- and post-reflection on empathy and mindfulness 
• A microcredential awarded upon completion 

As the story unfolds, you’ll witness a parallel journey through burnout and compassion fatigue – reminding us that sustainable, compassionate care begins with caring for ourselves. 

What you’ll gain

Foundational Capacities

• Recognizing and interpreting emotions
• Practicing mindful presence and compassion
• Using heart-based regulation to steady oneself in distressing moments

Relational Tools

• ARC Self: Choosing and regulating one’s emotional response
• ARC Other: Communicating compassionately and relationally with residents  

Practice Integration

• Observing emotional cues in simulated cases
• Sharing insights with team members
• Adjusting responses based on reflection
• Engaging in structured debriefing  

Advanced Integration

• Examining personal beliefs and assumptions
• Embedding reflective practice
• Supporting team-based learning and emotional leadership

Acknowledgements

Supported by the BSO Provincial Coordinating Office. Shaped by their meaningful contributions.