By Wendy Johnstone, Director of Programs and Innovation, FCBC
At a time where isolation and mental health concerns pose legitimate health risks, there continues to be a universal need to prioritize people’s overall well-being. Family caregivers can find themselves at an even greater risk because of the known challenges that accompany their role.
You may have heard the term “social prescribing”: a global movement that bridges together community and healthcare services in order to address the non-medical needs that contribute to a person’s overall health. Referred to as the social determinants of health, these needs are greatly influenced by a number of factors across the lifespan, including loneliness, housing, financial security, social isolation and much more. The theory is that when we attend to an individual’s social determinants of health, it has a direct positive impact on overall health and well-being.
Social prescribing is a natural fit for family caregivers, offering many potential benefits. Research shows that caregivers don’t often self-identify, nor do they always see themselves separate from the patient or person they are caring for. Since family physicians and other healthcare professionals can often only address a few problems in an appointment, social prescribing equips them to: a) identify caregivers, b) treat them as their own clients and b) supplement existing treatments with a non-medical referral option to improve their health and well-being holistically.
Where does the referral go? There are different models depending on the population being served; however, generally, social prescribing involves a direct referral to a “link worker” in the community and social sector. Building on an individual’s strengths and using a person-centred approach, the link worker helps to co-create solutions to connect people to services based on their identified non-medical needs. For example, social prescriptions could include one-to-one caregiver support, recreation programs, peer support networks, volunteer opportunities, gardening, and much more. The image below illustrates our concept design for our Caregiver Rx Social Prescribing Project.
Social prescribing is linked to better outcomes for caregivers and their care recipients. Research in Canada and abroad has shown that social prescribing leads to decreased loneliness, improved feelings of social connectivity and belonging, and better mental health and self-care.