SHANNON CLEARY

These smaller housing models make a big impact.

Providing care for loved ones can have many benefits, but it can also take a tremendous toll; extreme stress is a normal part of dementia caregiving. Thankfully, there are many programs that provide caregivers with education, practical tools and, perhaps most importantly, a network of support for a role that is very challenging.

For Julie Bertram, a nurse practitioner at Sage Hill Retirement Residence (an integrative supportive living facility in Calgary’s northwest), learning the stories and personalities of her patients is one of the most rewarding — and important — aspects of her job.

When Marek Otwinowski, an associate director with IBI Group, participated in a virtual dementia tour, he was given the simple task of pairing socks. But pairing socks — or simply finding his way around a room — became much more complicated under the simulated experience of dementia. Otwinowski’s physical and cognitive abilities were altered with disorienting noise, loss of touch and blurred vision.