One-on-one activity visits for seniors across Ottawa — at home or in a retirement residence. I bring the materials, the ideas, and the patience; you just have to open the door.
Every session is one-on-one and shaped around what that person can enjoy today — whether they live at home or in a retirement residence. No group pace to keep up with, no place to be but here.
A quick call or email to learn about the person's interests, abilities, and what a good day looks like for them.
I choose and adapt an activity to match — considering dexterity, memory, and pace — and pack everything needed.
I arrive with supplies in hand and guide the activity from start to finish, at a pace that fits the person, not a clock.
Visits run flexibly, usually 1 to 2 hours, depending on the person and the activity — there's no rush to fill a fixed time slot.
Dexterity, memory, and energy look different for everyone. Every activity flexes to meet the person where they are, today.
Larger grips, simplified motions, and tools sized for comfort — no fine motor skills required.
Clear, repeatable steps and familiar themes that meet each person where they are — memory loss and dementia included.
No rushing — we slow down, pause, or revisit a step as many times as it takes.
Every visit is built around one activity, chosen together beforehand and adapted to the person. Here's a look at what's typically on the menu — new ideas are always welcome.
Every activity comes with its own large-print, step-by-step instruction card, so the process is easy to follow together from start to finish.
Hands-on cooking and canning sessions — jams, soups, apple sauce & butter, and beets.
Button and jewelry-based designs — wreaths, Christmas trees, bunnies & baskets, hearts, flowers, angels, pumpkins, and animals.
Nature-inspired crafts — wreaths, gnomes, and jewelled or painted pinecones.
Paint-your-own projects — t-shirts, birdhouses, stones, jars, wood disks, clay, and salt dough.
Every session starts with one of these — or something new, built just for the person.
Every catalogue item comes with its own large-print, step-by-step instruction card. Don't see something here? Tell me what the person enjoys and I'll plan something around it.
Every catalogue item above is just a starting point. If there's something the person has always loved — a hobby, a memory, a favourite recipe — a session can be built around that instead.
Tell me what the person has always loved, and I'll design an activity around it — adapted for dexterity, memory, and pace, just like everything else.
Care staff do a lot with very little time — medication, meals, mobility support, several residents at once. Hands-on activities suited to each person's ability are almost always the first thing a busy shift has no room for, not for lack of care, just lack of hours. A Heartful Moments visit is built to be the thing a shift usually can't be.
Every activity is planned in advance and adapted to each person's dexterity, memory, and pace — not improvised on the spot. Coordinate through the recreation coordinator, care team, or family, and the visit happens alongside existing care, not instead of it.
In-home visits are currently available across Ottawa and these surrounding Ontario communities. Not sure if your address is included? Just ask.
The same activities from the catalogue above, guided over video — live or on your own time. A family member or caregiver is always welcome to join in and help.
Join a real-time video call and follow along together, with guidance and questions answered as you go.
Watch a step-by-step video any time that works for you, and revisit it as often as you'd like.
Use the supply list provided ahead of time and gather your own materials — great if you already have things on hand.
Skip the shopping — a complete materials kit is packed and mailed right to your door, ready to go.
The session rate stays the same either way — add the materials kit if you'd rather not shop. Exact rate depends on the activity chosen.
Guided live over video, using your own materials.
Follow along anytime, using your own materials.
Optional — a complete kit mailed to your door, added to either session type.
Starting prices shown above — the exact rate depends on the activity chosen.
Ask about online sessionsOne flexible hourly rate that reflects the travel and the materials I bring with me to every visit.
Pay as you go, one visit at a time.
Save about 7%
Billed upfront, used over 1–2 months.
Save about 11%
Best for ongoing weekly or biweekly visits.
Package rates apply to visits scheduled within 3 months of purchase.
Bringing a few residents together for one shared activity instead of separate 1-on-1 visits? Group sessions are available at a discounted hourly rate.
If the rate above is a stretch, reach out. A limited number of sliding-scale spots are held for families and individuals based on need — just a conversation, no paperwork required.
Ask about sliding scaleKnow a senior or care home that could use this but can't afford it? A one-time or ongoing gift sponsors sessions for someone else — $45 covers one full hour.
Become a sponsorEvery visit is covered by the same checks and training you'd expect from an agency — because trust matters just as much as the activity itself.
Police-verified background check
Current certification
Non-violent Crisis Intervention
Liability coverage in place
Verified driving record
This kind of work is actually where I started. Long before Heartful Abilities, I spent many hours volunteering with seniors, and my first full-time job was in the activities department of a senior extended care unit. From there, my career carried me through more than 20 years of working with and serving people in different capacities — most recently as a Program Manager in the developmental disability field. Every step of it stayed with me — the people, the relationships, the quiet moments that mattered more than any meeting.
I wanted to build something that feeds my heart and soul, not just fill another role.
Heartful Moments grew out of where it all began for me: a way to keep showing up for seniors, one visit and one activity at a time, in the place they're most comfortable — home.