By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

A new partnership between CAB Sutton and the Maison Gilles-Carle of Cowansville is aiming to bring much-needed relief and support to caregivers in the Sutton and Abercorn region. Launched earlier this month, the program offers both individual psychosocial support and interactive group workshops, addressing a growing demand from community members who care for aging or ill loved ones.

The initiative is being offered under the umbrella of the Regroupement Soutien aux Aidants Brome-Missisquoi (RSABM), which has been working to support caregivers in the region for nearly 30 years. Through the new collaboration, Sutton-area residents now have access to services previously only offered in Cowansville.

“The first thing was to know if there was a need,” said Mathilde Delorme, General Director of CAB Sutton. “We wanted to see if there were caregivers in the area who would benefit from having some kind of support. The support can take all kinds of forms, but it’s mostly psychological.”

To test the waters, the team invited psychosocial counsellor Marlène Johnson to lead a workshop during one of CAB Sutton’s weekly Café 50+ gatherings, a Wednesday afternoon program open to anyone aged 50 and over. “During that meeting, there were a lot of people who showed up and who said that they would be interested in getting more support,” Delorme explained. The response was strong enough to warrant setting up a full day of one-on-one consultations, all of which were quickly booked.

Johnson, a veteran intervenante psychosociale working with RSABM and Maison Gilles-Carle, now visits CAB Sutton monthly to offer individual sessions and group workshops. “Our main mission is to prevent caregiver burnout,” she said. “There are different ways we try to do it—one of them is by giving the helpers, the loved ones, respite.”

That support may include access to Maison Gilles-Carle’s day and overnight respite services in Cowansville, as well as a variety of practical and emotional resources. Johnson’s individual consultations, now available at CAB Sutton, give caregivers a place to reflect on their experiences and reconnect with their own needs. “Usually they’re always centred on the other person, and they lose sight of their own being,” she said. “They often put themselves last.”

The sessions provide a space for clients to speak freely, feel heard, and explore complex emotions. “I try to gently guide, but at the same time, I mostly create a space so they can reflect on their own experience without steering for them,” Johnson explained. “It’s oriented on their needs, their expectations.”

Caregivers face many challenges, and Johnson sees people in all stages of their journey—whether they’re reeling from a new diagnosis, struggling with sleep deprivation, or wrestling with the decision to transition a loved one into long-term care. Many clients, she said, are already nearing burnout when they reach out. “We see them coming too late… they come and reach for help when they’ve been so far into the path of caregiving.”

One client, she recalled, was an 83-year-old woman caring for her husband, who was experiencing falls and declining health. “She has back pain, she’s so tired, she doesn’t sleep during the night,” said Johnson. “She’s doing everything for him—and she feels guilt that she’s not able to take care of him anymore.”

In such cases, Johnson doesn’t offer prescriptions but rather questions and insights to help people step back and evaluate their situations. “They’re so close to the situation, they don’t see how much they have no oxygen,” she said. “I remind them that they matter, and they need to really take care of themselves.”

While the work is demanding, Johnson said it is deeply rewarding—and much needed. “There’s not so many resources, and this is almost free,” she noted. “You only pay $30 for a year, and you have an hour with me. I offer tools to cope with the situation and help them adapt, based on their values and strengths.”

The interactive monthly workshops offered through Café 50+ aim to build those strengths collectively, with sessions covering practical topics such as caregiving techniques, setting up support networks, and mindfulness practices. “They can take their caregiver hats off and start to think about themselves,” said Johnson.

As the program continues, demand is expected to grow. “We’re definitely continuing it in August and September,” said Delorme, noting that CAB Sutton is open to increasing the number of sessions if needed. “If we have the demand, we can actually develop more programs.”

Delorme emphasized that the initiative is rooted in community response. “We publicized it in our infoletter and got a lot of people calling us—that’s when we knew there was a demand.”

According to Johnson, roughly one-third of Quebec’s population acts as caregivers, and many don’t realize they fall into that category. “The face of the caregiver is changing,” she said. “More and more, there are young people becoming caregivers and they don’t know it. It’s not about how much time you spend—it’s about how your life changes.”

She cited the example of a woman in her fifties now caring for both her aging parents while also raising children. “She’s in the sandwich generation,” Johnson said. “She has to work, take care of her family, and now she’s taking care of her parents too. Her life is totally changed.”

In such situations, the emotional weight can be just as heavy as the practical responsibilities. “We try to break the isolation,” Johnson said. “To give them a secure space where they can just express who they are without judgment.”

As word spreads, organizers hope more English-speaking residents in the Sutton area will feel welcome to participate. “We want them to know that we do have services for them,” Johnson said. “And that asking for help is not weakness—it’s actually part of being autonomous. It’s about knowing when to reach out, before you reach your limits.”

To learn more or to book a session, residents of Sutton and Abercorn can call CAB Sutton at 450-538-1919 or email ressource50@cabsutton.com. Monthly workshops are held during Café 50+ gatherings on Wednesday afternoons. All caregivers—whether new to the role or seasoned—are encouraged to attend.