Dementia support services have generally been directed either towards the person with dementia or towards the care partner; they rarely address the relational challenges to couplehood. This article describes the philosophy, aims and multimodal processes of the Creating Connection program, a six-session program run in 2017 which aimed to support and empower couples to navigate through the changes and challenges of dementia. The authors recommend this as a model for future programs. Such programs, especially when offered soon after a diagnosis of dementia, may steer couples away from pathways of “disintegration” and onto more positive pathways of “reconstruction”.
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