DocumentsPresentationMay 26, 2026Pages 2–11
Healthy Aging in Langford — Social Prescribing + Better at Home (Presented by Lisa Niven, PCFSA)
Presentation by Pacific Centre Family Services Association on social prescribing and the Better at Home program, describing local senior needs, program services, and asks of the City to support coordination and volunteer capacity.
Key facts
- Presenter: Lisa Niven, Community Connector, Pacific Centre Family Services Association (PCFSA)
- Focus: Social prescribing and Better at Home services (light housekeeping, grocery support, friendly visiting, transportation, yard work/home supports)
- Program goals: reduce isolation, support aging in place, improve coordination among service providers
- Ask to City: support cross-organization collaboration, identify accessible spaces, promote awareness, include seniors in age-friendly planning
Healthy Aging in Langford — Social Prescribing + Better at Home
Presented by Lisa Niven, Community Connector, PCFSA
The Main Message
Seniors do better when community supports are connected.
Right now, many good services exist — but they are not always easy to find, access, or coordinate.
Why This Matters
Older adults are trying to remain independent at home while facing:
- Social isolation
- Transportation barriers
- Food & nutrition concerns
- Caregiver stress
- Home safety & maintenance
- Difficulty navigating services
What Social Prescribing Does
Social Prescribing connects older adults to non-clinical community supports:
- Social connection
- Physical activity
- Food & nutrition supports
- Transportation navigation
- Caregiver support
- Community programs & resources
What Better at Home Adds
Better at Home helps older adults remain living independently by supporting day-to-day non-medical needs.
- Light housekeeping
- Grocery support
- Friendly visiting
- Transportation
- Yard work & home supports*
*Not yet available locally — an area of need as volunteer capacity grows. Services vary by community.
Where the Two Programs Meet
Social Prescribing identifies needs and builds a plan.
Better at Home helps meet practical needs at home.
Together, they support:
- ✓ Earlier intervention
- ✓ Safer aging in place
- ✓ Reduced isolation
- ✓ Better caregiver support
- ✓ More appropriate use of community resources
What We Are Seeing Locally
- Seniors not knowing where to start
- Families and caregivers feeling overwhelmed
- Service providers not always knowing what others offer
- Volunteers and informal supports not being coordinated
- Transportation and home support gaps limiting access
The Real Problem: Silos
The challenge is not only service availability. It is coordination.
Without shared pathways:
- Seniors fall through gaps
- Organizations duplicate work
- Volunteers are underused
- Referrals depend on personal connections
- Community assets are missed
What Better Collaboration Could Look Like
A stronger Langford/Westshore seniors network could include:
- Regular cross-organization seniors table
- Warm handoffs between programs
- Shared referral pathways
- Volunteer coordination
- Updated community asset map
- Shared outreach to clinics, housing, libraries, recreation
The Ask
Healthy aging is community infrastructure.
Opportunities for the City of Langford:
- ✓ Support cross-organization collaboration
- ✓ Help identify accessible community spaces
- ✓ Promote awareness through city channels where appropriate
- ✓ Include seniors' needs in age-friendly planning
- ✓ Support volunteer and community resource coordination
