The Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging (ELCHA) is pleased to share that Dr. Grace Park, an ELCHA Investigator, has received a Health Research BC Team Grant to support a new project titled Implementing and Evaluating the Province-Wide Scale-up of Social Prescribing to Improve Older Adults’ Well-Being in British Columbia.
The project will examine how social prescribing, an emerging model of integrated, person-centred care, can be expanded across the province to better support older adults’ health and wellbeing.
Social prescribing connects individuals with non-medical supports in their communities, such as social programs, meal services, transportation resources, and other local services that address social determinants of health. By strengthening referral pathways between healthcare providers and community organizations, the model aims to improve quality of life while reducing pressure on traditional healthcare systems.
In British Columbia, social prescribing has expanded rapidly through government investment and collaboration with United Way British Columbia. Implementation has largely focused on community integration, with less emphasis on integration within health authorities. The Fraser Health region, however, has developed one of the most integrated models through an intentional partnership between Fraser Health and United Way BC.
Building on these successes, the newly funded project will leverage insights from Fraser Health to inform the province-wide expansion and evaluation of social prescribing across British Columbia’s health regions.
The research team will investigate how social prescribing programs are implemented across different regional contexts and how the model is adapted to meet local needs. The project will also identify barriers and enabling factors that influence program success, including the experiences and behaviours of clinicians, community connectors (navigators), older adults, and caregivers.
In addition, the study will examine the effectiveness of referral pathways and identify key predictors that influence whether older adults successfully access and benefit from community services.
The project is managed through Fraser Health and will be implemented across multiple health regions throughout British Columbia.
Several ELCHA investigators are contributing to the project, including Dr. Grace Park (Primary Applicant Co-Lead), Dr. Eli Puterman, and Dr. Maureen Ashe, alongside a multidisciplinary team of collaborators from Fraser Health, academic institutions, and community partners across the province.
By evaluating how social prescribing can be implemented effectively at scale, the project aims to strengthen systems that support health, independence, and social connection for older adults across British Columbia.
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