[News] Social Prescribing for older adults begins in Bonnyville

Introduction: Social Prescribing works as a catalyst for collaboration among vastly different sectors and agencies to ensure older Albertans have access to the social supports they need to thrive and age with dignity.

A new program is underway in the Bonnyville area with a mission to help older residents traverse the space between medical intervention and community services.

On Oct. 1, 2025, Bonnyville and District Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) successfully obtained a two-year grant from Healthy Aging Alberta (HAA) to provide Social Prescribing to seniors in its catchment area. This includes both the Town and MD of Bonnyville as well as the Village of Glendon.

Social Prescribing is an additional tool healthcare professionals can use to assist in the overall wellbeing of the patients they treat.

“Our social determinants of health account for 80 per cent of our overall health. The other 20 per cent is the more formal interactions with a physician and a doctor,” explains Michael Procinsky, the Northern Alberta Regional Community Developer for HAA.

“Once we have financial security figured out, affordable and accessible transportation, good housekeeping, [and are able to] keep up to date with benefits and pension, our overall well-being and wellness skyrockets.”

But navigating health systems and social supports, on top of housing and other social needs, can be a daunting task to take on by oneself – especially when most things must be accessed and submitted online.

Rather than jumping through hoops, many seniors may simply choose to go without, decide to stay in or disconnect completely. This can have detrimental impacts on one’s overall health.

Through Social Prescribing, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals can connect older adults with a link worker to prevent them from falling through the cracks once they leave their office.

A link worker is a community-based worker, as opposed to a clinical social worker within the hospital setting.

Bonnyville is the latest community to receive funding through HAA to implement Social Prescribing for its residents. HAA is currently funding 18 Social Prescribing programs across the province.

With the funding received from HAA, the Bonnyville FCSS was able to hire its own designated link worker in January of this year. 

The Bonnyville program is currently in the early stages of being able to take referrals from healthcare professionals, says Procinsky. 

The role of the link worker is to advocate for their client to get what they need within their home to age well in place. This means acting as a bridge between the healthcare system and other community services.

“Both the link worker and the older adult are part of the care team. So they are working together around advocacy to their family doctor or other healthcare professionals to ensure they have the supports they need from a medical perspective to engage in the community in a really meaningful way,” Procinsky said.

For now, Bonnyville will maintain one link worker with the goal of helping 30 to 45 older adults for each year that the grant continues.

Those who can provide Social Prescriptions include professionals in Primary Care Networks, the hospital, medical clinics, and pharmacies; or specialized workers with a health designation.