About Us

Touching Hearts at Home – Southwest Boston

Touching Hearts at Home is locally owned and operated by Justin and Melissa McDermott. Touching Hearts at Home of Southwest Boston combines the knowledge and resources of a national home care franchise with the personal touch of a local, family-owned business. In short, we are large enough to meet a diverse range of client needs and small enough to know each of our clients intimately. We opened our doors in 2021 and are committed to providing quality home care for seniors and disabled adults in Southwest Boston.

After my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer in 2004, my family’s eyes were opened to the variety of challenges one could face when caring for loved ones. Throughout the duration of her 5-year battle, it became clear to me how critical it was to have qualified, reliable, and compassionate caregivers in her home when our family needed help.

Based on this experience, my parents opened Touching Hearts at Home in Rochester, NY in 2007. I have been involved at a variety of ways since its inception, from caregiving in the early days of the business to overseeing the opening of our two branches in Syracuse and Albany, NY in 2017 and 2018. It was always our plan to move back to New England, so after opening up these additional offices in Upstate New York, that’s exactly what we did. In the fall in 2021, Melissa and I officially opened Touching Hearts at Home of Southwest Boston and we couldn’t be happier to be in Massachusetts.

We work in collaboration with elders, their caregivers, and experts in elder care who are best positioned to determine which companion care providers maintain the highest standards of care and service. All of our caregivers are carefully background-checked, trained, insured and bonded. We also have administrative and supervisory staff available 24/7 to ensure our clients’ needs are met, no matter what day of the week or time of night. We would be happy to provide references from any number of our senior care partners in our 3 locations. It is our hope that this, along with 14+ years of senior care experience gives you the peace of mind to engage Touching Hearts to help support you and your family.

We hope you will call us today to discuss how we might meet your needs. We will be more than happy to meet with you at your convenience and at no cost or obligation.

Melissa and Justin

Sarah Viola, HR & Recruiting Specialist

Sarah joined the team in March 2025 as the HR & Recruiting Specialist. Sarah has 25 years experience in the Food & Beverage industry as a Professional Chef and Manager. She has also navigated the challenges of business ownership, allowing her to develop a deep understanding of organizational dynamics and operational excellence. Prior to her current role, Sarah was a Learning and Development Coordinator and Onboarding Specialist at a large, global organization. Sarah is committed to creating a seamless employee experience through effective HR practices and is passionate about fostering team relationships in a positive, inclusive workplace environment. In her free time, Sarah expresses her creativity through cooking, gardening, photography, art and music, and enjoys spending time with her family.

Kerry, Director of Operations

Kerry joined Touching Hearts in April of 2023 as the Client Care Manager. Kerry has an extensive background within the Health and Human Service industry for over 25 years. She has served as the Director of Residential Services for agencies who support folks with physical and developmental disabilities. Advocating for and providing support to folks and their families is a passion of Kerry’s. In her free time, Kerry loves the beach, and spending time with her family – especially her three grandbabies!