Enhancing Lives

Caring Connections is dedicated to enhancing lives through personalized assistance services, creating moments of joy and companionship.

Hi, I’m Denise;
After growing up in Kelowna, making many lasting memories involving lifelong friends and family traditions, I found my soulmate in Alberta and we were married in 1978. That decision has proven to be the golden nugget of wise choices in my life. We made our home back in the Kelowna area in 1999.

My family – 3 adult children and their partners and kids have transformed into being our cherished friends, all of which are my ‘Sunshine’ my ‘fresh air’ - my life! And our friends, make up our treasured extended family.

Everyone who knows me also knows that I possess the “Pollyanna” syndrome. I play “the Glad Game” like I own the rights to it! My motto is: Treat people kinder than they deserve!

I love doing anything and everything with my kids, playing games with my grandkids, belly laughing with my friends, reading, and painting!

For my first choice of career, I chose to stay home and raise my children.

I studied and became a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) in Alberta in the early 1990’s. When we moved back to the Kelowna area, I took the Certified Education Assistant (CEA) program and have worked as an employee with School District 23 in Kelowna since 2002.

I attach and build meaningful relationships with those I meet and work with.
Finding myself in the company of humankind energizes me! I genuinely care for people in our community. When you meet me, you will quickly know that you matter to me.

Iona grew up in Alberta, the youngest in a large family, spending every summer heading to Vancouver Island to see her grandparents and extended family on her mother's side. Always having a creative side, she began her work in graphic arts in 1985, working at two different companies over the next 5 years.

After that, she moved on to healthcare, where she worked for 24 years in various areas, from hospitals to medical offices and home care, ending the last 6 years at a hospice on Vancouver Island. This was a position that brought her great joy, and she was able to truly use her compassion and people skills. During these years, she also married and had two children who are now in their 20s and have become wonderful, amazing adults, and she cherishes time and adventures with them and their partners. She recently also became a Grandmother (Gigi) for the first time to two little twin girls!

Over the years, Iona continued to dabble in her creative side, building and renovating several homes and taking home staging and decorating courses. She eventually started her own business in 2015 when she opened a boutique specializing in home decor and gifts, which she ran for the next nine years. This was a longtime dream realized, and she excelled as an entrepreneur. She was able to use her creativity daily and also forged deep connections with so many of her customers.

Some of Iona’s other passions are gardening, travelling, and upcycling furniture. Iona relocated to the Okanagan Valley in early 2024; she has many friends and extended family here and is excited to serve the local community using her particular skillset!

Denise and Iona have been good friends for over 35 years. We’ve been through incredibly tough and challenging times and have found we bonded quickly even as our life journey separated us, albeit only by location. We share the love of our families and will forever be grateful to each other for being true kindred spirits.

We recognized a need for high-quality solutions, companionship, and personal assistance in our community, where adults of all ages have found challenges managing their homes, independence, and schedules.

What sets us apart is our reputation for integrity, compassion, and commitment to working closely with each client to understand their unique needs and requirements. We commit to forging meaningful connections with each client to keep them feeling organized, supported, and involved in their community.

Iona and Denise have both worked directly with people throughout their careers, where they have honed their abilities to be thoughtful and innovative. They each bring a unique skill set that complements one another, enabling them to be compassionate, organized,, and creatively intuitive. These essential qualities help facilitate and support clients at their own pace.

We strive to create a warm, respectful, and “easy” environment with our clients—a shared space where we can have meaningful conversations and interactions while finding the right solutions to their needs!

Why choose us?