How 1:1 Creative Engagement Is Changing the Resident Experience
at Cooksville Care Centre
August 21, 2026
In early 2025, a conversation between Cooksville Care Centre Executive Director, Nicole Fisher and Young at Heart Painting founder Kimberley Smith led to a simple idea: What if residents who needed more individualized engagement could experience painting one-to-one?
That question became the foundation for a growing 1:1 Creative Engagement Program at Cooksville Care Centre. Rather than asking residents to adapt to a traditional group program, the artist comes to the resident, whether they are sitting in a common area, participating at a table, or engaging from their bedside.
The focus isn't on creating a perfect painting. It's on creating an experience.
Meeting Residents Where They Are
Every resident brings different abilities, interests, communication styles, and comfort levels to a session.
Some residents immediately pick up a brush. Others prefer to watch first. Some enjoy conversation while they paint. Others find the quiet, repetitive nature of painting calming.
The artist adapts.
A resident may choose colours, paint a small section, work with hand-over-hand guidance, or simply observe the process before deciding to participate.
There is no pressure to produce a finished masterpiece.
The goal is meaningful engagement at the resident's own pace.
Small Moments Can Become Big Wins
Over time, the team began noticing moments that were easy to overlook but meaningful to the people experiencing them.
One resident who had previously shown little interest in programming began looking forward to painting days and developed a strong connection with their artist.
Another resident became increasingly confident with fine lines, shading, and colour as sessions continued.
A family member watching a loved one participate in a painting session was surprised by the level of engagement they hadn't seen in some time.
Another resident, who often appeared restless, became deeply focused during a painting session and later returned to continue creating.
These moments are not about measuring artistic ability.
They are about participation, confidence, familiarity, choice, and connection.
The Relationship Matters
One of the most meaningful aspects of 1:1 programming is the relationship that develops between the resident and the artist.
With regular visits, the artist becomes a familiar face.
Residents begin to recognize the artist, anticipate their visits, remember previous projects, and make choices about what they want to create next.
That familiarity can turn a 1:1 session into something residents genuinely look forward to.
As one family member described the experience:
“We did create something today. We created a friendship.”
That is ultimately what this program is about.
The painting is important—but the human connection created around it may be even more important.
Families Become Part of the Experience
Families are welcome to watch or participate when appropriate.
For some family members, seeing their loved one engaged creatively provides an entirely different perspective on what they are capable of.
It can create a shared experience that isn't focused on care needs, appointments, or daily routines.
Instead, everyone is simply present together—creating something.
One family member described seeing her mother participate in a painting session as a moment she hadn't experienced in months.
Those moments matter.
Supporting the Care Team
1:1 creative engagement is not intended to replace clinical care or the work of the care team.
It complements it.
Artists provide focused attention, encouragement, conversation, and creative stimulation while documenting participation and progress so that the resident's experience can be seen over time.
For staff, these sessions can provide another opportunity to see residents engaged in a different environment—one centered around choice, creativity, and personal expression.
What We've Learned
The experience at Cooksville Care Centre has reinforced something we see across senior living communities:
Engagement doesn't have to look the same for every resident.
Some residents thrive in a group.
Others need a quieter environment and individualized attention.
Some want to paint.
Others want to talk, watch, choose colours, or simply have someone sit beside them and encourage them.
The most meaningful programs are often the ones flexible enough to meet people where they are.
A Partnership Built Around the Resident
The 1:1 Creative Engagement Program at Cooksville Care Centre began with one question and evolved into an ongoing partnership focused on creating meaningful experiences for residents.
Through painting, conversation, encouragement, and consistent one-to-one attention, residents are given opportunities to express themselves, build confidence, and experience connection.
And sometimes, the most meaningful result isn't the painting hanging on the wall.
It's the smile when the artist walks through the door.
About Young at Heart Painting
Young at Heart Painting provides creative engagement programs and custom murals for long-term care and senior living communities. Our 1:1 programs are designed to provide individualized creative experiences that meet residents at their own pace, abilities, and interests.
In early 2025, a conversation between Cooksville Care Centre Executive Director, Nicole Fisher and Young at Heart Painting founder Kimberley Smith led to a simple idea: What if residents who needed more individualized engagement could experience painting one-to-one?
That question became the foundation for a growing 1:1 Creative Engagement Program at Cooksville Care Centre. Rather than asking residents to adapt to a traditional group program, the artist comes to the resident, whether they are sitting in a common area, participating at a table, or engaging from their bedside.
The focus isn't on creating a perfect painting. It's on creating an experience.
Meeting Residents Where They Are
Every resident brings different abilities, interests, communication styles, and comfort levels to a session.
Some residents immediately pick up a brush. Others prefer to watch first. Some enjoy conversation while they paint. Others find the quiet, repetitive nature of painting calming.
The artist adapts.
A resident may choose colours, paint a small section, work with hand-over-hand guidance, or simply observe the process before deciding to participate.
There is no pressure to produce a finished masterpiece.
The goal is meaningful engagement at the resident's own pace.
Small Moments Can Become Big Wins
Over time, the team began noticing moments that were easy to overlook but meaningful to the people experiencing them.
One resident who had previously shown little interest in programming began looking forward to painting days and developed a strong connection with their artist.
Another resident became increasingly confident with fine lines, shading, and colour as sessions continued.
A family member watching a loved one participate in a painting session was surprised by the level of engagement they hadn't seen in some time.
Another resident, who often appeared restless, became deeply focused during a painting session and later returned to continue creating.
These moments are not about measuring artistic ability.
They are about participation, confidence, familiarity, choice, and connection.
The Relationship Matters
One of the most meaningful aspects of 1:1 programming is the relationship that develops between the resident and the artist.
With regular visits, the artist becomes a familiar face.
Residents begin to recognize the artist, anticipate their visits, remember previous projects, and make choices about what they want to create next.
That familiarity can turn a 1:1 session into something residents genuinely look forward to.
As one family member described the experience:
“We did create something today. We created a friendship.”
That is ultimately what this program is about.
The painting is important—but the human connection created around it may be even more important.
Families Become Part of the Experience
Families are welcome to watch or participate when appropriate.
For some family members, seeing their loved one engaged creatively provides an entirely different perspective on what they are capable of.
It can create a shared experience that isn't focused on care needs, appointments, or daily routines.
Instead, everyone is simply present together—creating something.
One family member described seeing her mother participate in a painting session as a moment she hadn't experienced in months.
Those moments matter.
Supporting the Care Team
1:1 creative engagement is not intended to replace clinical care or the work of the care team.
It complements it.
Artists provide focused attention, encouragement, conversation, and creative stimulation while documenting participation and progress so that the resident's experience can be seen over time.
For staff, these sessions can provide another opportunity to see residents engaged in a different environment—one centered around choice, creativity, and personal expression.
What We've Learned
The experience at Cooksville Care Centre has reinforced something we see across senior living communities:
Engagement doesn't have to look the same for every resident.
Some residents thrive in a group.
Others need a quieter environment and individualized attention.
Some want to paint.
Others want to talk, watch, choose colours, or simply have someone sit beside them and encourage them.
The most meaningful programs are often the ones flexible enough to meet people where they are.
A Partnership Built Around the Resident
The 1:1 Creative Engagement Program at Cooksville Care Centre began with one question and evolved into an ongoing partnership focused on creating meaningful experiences for residents.
Through painting, conversation, encouragement, and consistent one-to-one attention, residents are given opportunities to express themselves, build confidence, and experience connection.
And sometimes, the most meaningful result isn't the painting hanging on the wall.
It's the smile when the artist walks through the door.
About Young at Heart Painting
Young at Heart Painting provides creative engagement programs and custom murals for long-term care and senior living communities. Our 1:1 programs are designed to provide individualized creative experiences that meet residents at their own pace, abilities, and interests.
