Family Caregivers of BC (FCBC) is excited to be part of expanding social prescribing for caregivers across Canada, with deep appreciation for funding and strategic support from the Center for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE), a program of the Azrieli Foundation. This significant next phase builds on a decade of work since FCBC launched Caregiver Rx©, a first-in-Canada innovation guided by our vision of a caregiver-friendly health system and funded in part by the BC Ministry of Health.
The Caregiver Rx© model has been refined and replicated at multiple points of care across the BC health system, demonstrating effectiveness in embedding caregiver identification and referral pathways – social prescriptions – for support. Over the past two years, CCCE – Azrieli Foundation has also funded an enhanced, wrap-around caregiver support approach that takes into account social determinants of heath using a Caregiver Navigator, connecting them to other resources in their communities. We look forward to working closely with our partners to scale and spread social prescribing for caregivers.
Phase 2 Expansion and National Collaboration
Following the success of our two-year initiative, we are continuing to invest in social prescribing for caregivers, led by Family Caregivers of British Columbia, the Ontario Caregiving Organization, and Caregivers Nova Scotia. Building on the strong foundation established in the first phase, the three provincial organizations will continue to expand their impact for caregivers across the country.
Between 2026 and 2029, the participating organizations will:
- Expand the capacity and geographic reach of their social prescription pilot projects
- Expand the social prescription for care community of practice – with partners across the country
- Extend the learnings and resources from Phase 1 to more partner organizations.
- Convene all social prescribing grantees, community partners, pilot sites, experts and CCCE representatives annually.
Research into the impacts of social prescribing have demonstrated success in decreasing loneliness, enhancing a sense of connectedness and improving mental health. Outcomes also include a reduction in visits to healthcare teams and advance health equity by reducing barriers between health and social community care to support people’s immediate social needs
A report outlining the success of Phase 1 of the initiative will be available in April 2026.