YORKTON — A pilot project aimed at connecting older adults with community supports is gaining traction in Yorkton, but city officials say more awareness and participation are needed to reach its full potential.
A report presented to city council this week outlines steady growth in the city’s social prescribing pilot since its launch in early 2025, with increased referrals, client visits and partnerships across the community.
“This program is just an absolutely wonderful thing,” Mayor Aaron Kienle said in an interview. “It’s creating really good results, and now it’s about making sure more people know about it and can access it.”
Social prescribing is a non-clinical approach to health care that connects people, particularly those 55 and older, with community programs, social supports and services to improve overall well-being and reduce isolation. The Yorkton pilot is funded through the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism and includes a dedicated community connector position.
Lisa Washington, the city’s manager of community, culture and heritage, said the program addresses gaps that traditional health care does not.
“Not everything needs to be treated with medication,” Washington said. “Social prescribing looks at the social side of a person’s life, things like loneliness, housing or food security, and helps connect them to supports in the community.”
According to the report, program use has steadily increased over the past year, with dozens of admissions and individual client visits recorded. Services range from help with forms and technology to referrals for health professionals, exercise programs and transportation supports.
One of the most visible initiatives stemming from the program is the Silver Circle monthly gathering, which brings older adults together for guest presentations and informal social connections. Topics have included financial safety, physical activity, artificial intelligence and aging at home.
Kienle said the gatherings have potential to expand significantly.
“It sounds like it’s really, really good for everybody who’s involved,” he said. “But there’s probably an opportunity to double or triple or even quadruple participation based on the number of seniors we have in Yorkton.”
The report also highlights real-world impacts for participants. In one case, a client who had described life as “hopeless” reported improved well-being after receiving support through the program. Other outcomes included helping residents access transportation services, apply for benefits and reconnect with health supports.
Despite those successes, challenges remain. Referrals, particularly from front-line health-care providers, have been slower than expected.
Early on, the program relied heavily on doctors and nurse practitioners to refer patients, but that approach proved difficult to implement in busy rural settings.
“For it to trickle down to frontline workers who are already so busy, those referrals just weren’t happening,” Washington said. “People didn’t always understand what social prescribing was or how to use it.”
The program has since broadened its referral pathways, including stronger connections with home care services and community organizations.
Still, barriers persist, including limited volunteer availability, transportation challenges and gaps in local services such as meal programs and practical life supports.
Washington said increasing awareness is key to the program’s next phase.
“It’s about helping people understand there are other options out there,” she said. “If we can connect people earlier, we can prevent bigger issues down the road.”
Kienle agreed, noting the program could ease pressure on the health-care system if expanded.
“It has the potential to help reduce repeat visits to doctors and allow them to see new patients,” he said. “That’s a big deal, especially in rural communities.”
The pilot project is funded through the end of 2027, but its future beyond that will depend on continued support. City officials and program partners hope the province will eventually adopt a broader funding model to sustain similar initiatives long-term.
“The idea is to show the value over a few years,” Kienle said. “Then hopefully governments or organizations step in to keep a really worthwhile program going.”
Council voted to receive the report for information, while city administration continues to focus on expanding awareness, strengthening partnerships and evaluating the program’s effectiveness.
Washington said the goal is to keep the initiative rooted in the community rather than absorbed into bureaucracy.
“The strength of this model is that it’s community-based,” she said. “That’s where the real impact happens.”
