Healthy Aging on Saturna 

Active, connected, and engaged! These are the keys to health and wellness for everyone, but they become particularly important as we age. Based on these simple essentials, our Healthy Aging initiative supports a range of programs and activities that enhance older adults’ healthy aging process and enable them to live independently at home for as long as possible. 

Better at Home and Community Connector are United Way BC programs available to support the health and wellness of older adults living on Saturna Island.

Community Connector

The Community Connector uses a social prescribing approach to engaging with older adults and connecting them with a wide range of non-clinical services and activities in the Saturna Island community and beyond. 

Participants in the program co-create a wellness plan that can include community-based wellness supports (e.g. physical activity, social activity, mental health, nutritional support, etc.), information resources such as legal, financial, and housing assistance, as well as help to navigate the healthcare system and to access social services such as friendly visits and caregiver support.

The positive effects of social prescribing are numerous and can lead to improved mental health, reduced social isolation and increased sense of connectedness, overall enhancement of quality of life, and decreased reliance on medical interventions.

The United Way of BC funds the Community Connector service, which is available free of charge to residents of Saturna who are 55 and over.

How to contact the Community Connector

To refer yourself or someone you know to the Community Connector service, email SaturnaCommunityConnector@gmail.com or call (250) 516-2756.

Better at Home 

The Better at Home program is dedicated to helping older adults manage day-to-day tasks, enabling them to maintain their independence within the comfort of their homes – while staying connected with their community. 

A range of services are available to meet Saturna Island participants’ individual needs.  They can include light housekeeping, group activities, assistance with errands, light yard work, minor home repairs, help with technology, transportation to appointments and social events, and check-ins after power outages. 

Better at Home aims to address loneliness and isolation, so social connections are at the heart of the program. All volunteers and paid employees who provide services must pass a criminal record check. Employees are provided with WorkSafe insurance. 

The program receives funding from the Government of BC through the United Way of BC and from donations. Some services are free of charge. Other services are provided on a fee-for-service basis, but the cost may be fully or partially subsidised based on household income.

How to sign up for Better at Home

To learn more or sign up for service, email BAHSaturnaFieldCoordinator@gmail.com or call (250) 526-0249.