Healthy Aging
Programs designed to help aging British Columbians remain active, connected, and engaged in their existing communities.
At United Way BC, we believe that every older adult deserves to age with dignity, independence, and a strong sense of connection to their community.
As BC’s population grows older and more diverse, the need for accessible, community-based supports continues to grow.
Through our Healthy Aging portfolio, we work alongside the Community-Based Seniors’ Services (CBSS) sector, with support from the Government of British Columbia, to deliver programs that help older adults stay active, socially connected, and engaged in their communities.
From transportation and meal programs to caregiver supports and social prescribing, our initiatives are designed to:
- reduce isolation
- promote physical and mental well-being
- support seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes.
By strengthening local partnerships and investing in innovative, person-centred approaches, we’re helping to build age-friendly communities across the province.
Healthy Aging Programs
United Way BC Healthy Aging administers grants and manages programs that help older adults stay Active, Connected, and Engaged.
We collaborate with government agencies, healthcare providers, and community organizations to build strong support networks that offer a wide range of services to support the needs of seniors.
Our Impact in 2024–25
- 65,600+ older adults served
- 348 programs delivered by 169 community agencies
- 802,000+ services provided
- $39 million invested in local communities
- 7,565 volunteers engaged in supporting seniors
Our Focus
We prioritize health promotion and preventive practices, offering senior-centred programming that fosters:
- Independence
- Social engagement
- Physical activity
- A sense of belonging
Our Programs and Initiatives
A New Model for Community Support
In 2024–25, we launched the Healthy Aging Program and Service Delivery Model, with a vision to build a province-wide network of Healthy Aging Community Collaboratives.
This initiative strengthens partnerships within and across communities, enhancing the capacity of the Community-Based Seniors’ Services sector to support older adults holistically and effectively.
Healthy Aging programs and initiatives are located in communities across BC. Find the one nearest you.
Healthy Aging Team
-
Bobbi Symes
Director, Healthy Aging -
Camille J. Hannah
Director, Healthy Aging -
Olivia Bornik
Assistant Director, Community Engagement -
Dr. Beverley Pitman
Healthy Aging Manager (Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Sea to Sky) -
Ravi Grewal
Healthy Aging Specialist (Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Sea to Sky) -
Elise Goertz
Healthy Aging Manager (Fraser Health Region) -
Dr. Indira Riadi
Healthy Aging Specialist (Fraser Health Region) -
Amanda Marchand
Healthy Aging Manager (Central & Northern Vancouver Island) -
Cheryl Baldwin
Healthy Aging Specialist (Central & Northern Vancouver Island) -
Lisa Cyr
Healthy Aging Manager (Interior BC) -
Deborah Hogan
Healthy Aging Specialist (Interior BC) -
Lorelei Phillips
Healthy Aging Manager (Northern BC) -
Sarrah Storey
Healthy Aging Specialist (Northern BC) -
Margo Peill
Healthy Aging Specialist (Northern BC) -
Prab Sandhu
Health Care System & Community Specialist -
Dr. Laura Kadowaki
Research & Knowledge Mobilization Specialist -
Ian Chian
Specialist, Capacity Building -
Amaanali Fazal
Emergency Response & Partnerships Coordinator -
Mikaela Hudson
Learning & Evaluation Specialist -
Jean Rikhof
Technical Business Analyst -
Julia Jachimowicz
Coordinator, Impact & Granting -
Maggie Love
Program & Operations Coordinator -
Jessamine Liu
Administrator
Healthy Aging – In The News
At Healthy Aging, we believe that sharing stories about the work that’s being done in community helps to strengthen connections.
For more information about any of these stories, please contact healthyaging@uwbc.ca.
Healthy Aging – Research & Reports
-
Healthy Aging Year in Review (2024-2025)
Join us in reflecting on the milestones that helped older adults stay active, connected, engaged, and cared for in their communities this past year. Thanks to our incredible partners in the Community-Based Seniors’ Services (CBSS) sector and the Government of BC, we’re moving closer to a province where older adults and their caregivers are supported by a strong, connected network of community care. Posted: September 2025
-
Volunteer-Powered Supported Transportation Programs. A Guidance Resource for Program & Volunteer Coordinators
Volunteers bring valuable skills and talents that help seniors age independently at home while staying active, connected, and engaged. This resource was developed to support agencies by offering practical guidance on attracting and retaining volunteers – specifically in scenarios where a volunteer driver donates their time and uses their own vehicle to transport senior passengers on behalf of a nonprofit organization. These rides are typically for medical or community-based appointments. Posted: September 2025
-
2024 Summit on Aging Summary Report
The 2024 Provincial Summit on Aging, held on November 6-7, brought together over 400 in-person and 60 remote attendees from the Community-Based Seniors’ Services (CBSS) sector to discuss the current state and future of aging in BC. The 2024 Summit on Aging Summary Report provides key takeaways, insights on overall experience, and opportunities for sectoral collaboration.
-
Enabling Aging in Place Promising Practices: Better at Home
United Way BC’s Better at Home program has been recognized by Healthcare Excellence Canada as a leading model for enabling aging in place for older adults in BC. The report provides an analysis of the key factors that drive the success of the Better at Home program model. Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC) works with partners to spread innovation, build capability and catalyze policy change so that everyone in Canada has safe and high-quality healthcare.
-
Learnings From the 2023 United Way BC Social Prescribing Programs Co-Creation Sessions
The key findings and insights from these sessions reflect the voices of the 19 Community Connectors. While the initial purpose of these co-creation sessions and this report was to inform the development of a UWBC Social Prescribing Program implementation guide, we hope to share these learnings to support other social prescribing programs to enhance program design, support best practices and implementation, encourage collaboration, and drive innovation.
-
Learnings From the 2023 United Way BC TAPS Programs Co-Creation Sessions
This document outlines key data points that should be used to inform the development of the TAPS program manual. From October 2020 to April 2023, the Howegroup collected data from TAPS programs and participants to explore impact, as well as general program successes, challenges, and areas for improvement. Data was also collected from funded TAPS programs to inform the development of a stream-specific operating manual. Detailed findings from these data collection processes have been summarized in the following reports.
-
Learnings From the 2023 United Way BC Family & Friend Caregiver Programs Co-Creation Sessions
This document outlines key data points that should be used to inform the development of the FFCG program manual. From October 2020 to April 2023, the Howegroup collected data from FFCG programs and participants to explore impacts for caregivers, as well as general program successes, challenges, and areas for improvement. Data was also collected from funded FFCG programs to inform the development of a stream-specific operating manual. Detailed findings from these data collection processes have been summarized in the following reports.
-
Healthy Aging Year in Review (2023-2024)
Explore the remarkable impact United Way BC had this past year, made possible by the invaluable support from our community service providers, government funders, partners, friends, family caregivers, and dedicated volunteers. Together, we are helping seniors stay active, connected, and engaged. (For the best experience, when clicking links on the Year in Review please use CTRL + Click to open URLs in a new tab.)
-
Social Prescribing Implementation Guide
United Way British Columbia (UWBC) is leading the integration of Social Prescribing within the province, adapting this internationally recognized approach to meet the unique needs of British Columbia’s communities. Initiated after extensive community consultations in 2018, UWBC’s adaptation of Social Prescribing builds on the success of the “Better at Home” program started in 2012, aimed at enhancing the independence and community engagement of older adults.
-
Therapeutic Activation Program For Seniors
This handbook has been specifically crafted for Therapeutic Activation Program for Seniors (TAPS) Coordinators who are pivotal in executing these invaluable programs. It serves as a comprehensive overview of program elements and functions as a foundational guide for both the Coordinators and the organizations involvedin delivering TAPS Programming within their communities.
-
Handbook for Family & Friend Caregiver Support Coordinators
This handbook is crafted for Family and Friend Caregiver Support Coordinators who are pivotal in executing these invaluable programs. It serves as a comprehensive overview of program elements, and functions as a foundational training guide for both Coordinators and the organizations involved in delivering Family and Friend Care Support programming within their communities.
-
Aging in Uncertainty: The Growing Housing Crisis for BC Seniors (2023)
Imagine a life spent working hard, only to find yourself retiring in your 60s or 70s, facing the prospect of homelessness. This harsh reality is increasingly common among seniors in British Columbia, as revealed in a comprehensive 66-page report titled ‘ Aging in Uncertainty: The Growing Housing Crisis for BC Seniors.’ This report, jointly released on National Housing Day by United Way British Columbia and a coalition of BC Non-Profit community-based seniors’ organizations, spotlights the critical issue of seniors struggling to secure affordable housing in the face of soaring living costs, stagnant government retirement incomes, and a shortage of affordable housing.
-
Healthy Aging Program Brochure
The Healthy Aging program is delivered through United Way British Columbia (United Way BC), whose work is to strengthen vital connections that support people in need in local communities.
Healthy Aging relies on social research to ensure all our programs are meaningful and responsive to the needs of people as they age. We undertake our own research projects and work in collaboration with other respected researchers.
Community Engagement
To ensure that United Way BC Healthy Aging continues to meet the evolving needs of older adults across the province, we work closely with a diverse network of leaders from the Community-Based Seniors’ Services (CBSS) sector.
Through a series of community accountability and task groups, we engage older adults, caregivers, service providers, and sector experts to guide and inform our work. Together, these groups help:
- Strengthen the capacity and sustainability of the CBSS sector
- Raise awareness of the sector’s impact and value
- Foster collaboration and coordination across communities
- Develop a unified voice to advocate for healthy aging in BC
This collaborative approach ensures that initiatives remain responsive, impactful, and aligned with the priorities of the communities we serve.
Provincial Working Groups
United Way BC supports provincial Working Groups and Advisory Committees that bring together experienced leaders from the CBSS sector to address key issues facing older adults.
Guided by members of the Provincial CBSS Leadership Council, these groups focus on priority areas identified through Provincial Summits on Aging, community consultations and other engagement activities, ensuring that solutions are informed, collaborative, and responsive to the evolving needs of seniors across BC.
Provincial and Regional Consultations
United Way BC’s Provincial and Regional Consultations are vital opportunities to strengthen the CBSS sector across British Columbia.
Held in alternating years with the Provincial Summit on Aging, these consultations bring together community organizations, caregivers, and sector leaders to:
- Share innovative programs, strategies, and resources making a difference in communities
- Identify challenges and gaps in services for older adults
- Explore new opportunities for collaboration, training, and resource development
These gatherings help shape priorities for future programming and support, ensuring that older adults across BC continue to benefit from responsive, community-driven services.
Consultations will resume in 2025/26.
Provincial Summit on Aging
Every two years, United Way BC hosts the Provincial Summit on Aging, a province-wide gathering that brings together older adults, caregivers, community organizations, academics, and government representatives to explore the current state and future of aging in BC.
The Summit celebrates sector successes, shares stories, and fosters collaboration across health, government, and academic networks. Through workshops, networking, and skill-building sessions, participants co-develop innovative solutions and strengthen the CBSS sector.
This event provides a powerful platform to shape the next steps in advancing healthy aging and building stronger, more connected communities for older adults across the province.
Stay tuned for details on our next Summit on Aging, happening in November 2026.
2024 Summit Highlights:
On November 6 & 7, 2024, the fourth biennial Provincial Summit on Aging brought together over 400 in-person and 60 remote participants from across the CBSS sector.
Learn more about the 2024 Summit:
a video highlight of the 2024 Provincial Summit on Aging below:
Healthy Aging Core BC
Healthy Aging CORE BC is a vital online knowledge hub that connects and strengthens the CBSS sector network of organizations supporting older adults across the province.
By offering easy access to trusted resources, training, and peer learning opportunities, CORE helps community groups collaborate, share best practices, and turn research into action. Through webinars, communities of practice, and cross-promotion of impactful programs, CORE empowers those working to help seniors live independently and age well in their communities.
Community agencies, partners and volunteers can access CORE BC at bc.healthyagingcore.ca to sign up for the informative biweekly e-newsletter and to access resources, training, webinar information and more.
Project Impact Healthy Aging
Due to BC’s aging population and the rising cost of living, the demand for programs and services supporting older British Columbians is higher than ever.
This increased need underscores the ongoing commitment of United Way British Columbia, the Government of British Columbia, and the Community-Based Seniors’ Services (CBSS) sector to develop and enhance community efforts to keep seniors active, connected, and engaged in their communities while aging at home.
The United Way BC Project Impact Healthy Aging developmental evaluation course plays a crucial role in this mission. Over the course of eight months, teams from CBSS non-profit agencies across the province participate in this initiative. Through interviews and data analysis, these teams assess their own programs, measure successes, and identify areas for improvement, all with the goal of better serving older adults in their communities.
Every June, participating agencies present their findings at the Project Impact Healthy Aging Showcase, held at the Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex in Vancouver, BC.
Read the full 2025 Project Impact Healthy Aging story here: From Data to Dignity: How Project Impact Healthy Aging is Transforming Support for Older Adults in BC. – United Way British Columbia
For more information contact healthyaging@uwbc.ca
Watch our video to learn more about Project Impact Healthy Aging:
Information and Resources
CBSS Leadership Council
The Provincial Community-Based Seniors’ Services (CBSS) Leadership Council serves as a strategic advisory body that brings the lived experience of older adults and the expertise of community service providers into key decision-making processes at United Way BC and with the provincial government.
View CBSS Leadership Council member bios here.
-
Justine Keirn
(Co-Chair)Executive Director, Valley Community Services
-
Susan Scott
(Co-Chair)Councillor, City of Prince George
-
Annwen Loverin
(Past Co-Chair)Executive Director, Silver Harbour Seniors’ Activity Centre
-
Ashley Ekelund
Social and Community Development Supervisor, City of Kamloops
-
Kim Dixon
Executive Director, James Bay New Horizons
-
Louise Tremblay
Executive Director, Brella Community Services Society
-
Mike Jennings
President, Men’s Shed Association of BC and Coquitlam Men’s Shed
-
Sheila McDonald
Coordinator, Better at Home
-
Tim Rowe
Executive Director, Northern Health Authority
-
Ian Gerbrandt
Executive Director, Seniors Outreach and Resource Centre
-
Jacky Leung
Program Director, Wellness and Active Communities, S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
-
Claudine Matlo
Executive Director, West End Seniors’ Network
-
Petrina Arnason
Board Member, Langley Seniors in Action
-
Kimberly Barwich
Director of Seniors’ Programs & Services, Burnaby Neighbourhood House
-
Surendra Handa
Activity Coordinator, Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre
-
Tanya Behardien
Executive Director, OneSky Community Resources
-
Jennifer Pinsonneault
Seniors Services Coordinator, Whitevalley Community Resource Centre
-
Neil Stark
Director of Advocacy & Social Equity, Archway Community Services
-
Margaret Little
President, SONS – Save Our Northern Seniors
-
Lori Nawrot
Executive Director, Hornby Denman Health
-
Jennifer Van Es
Director, SHOAL Centre and Senior Services
-
Gina Hortelano
Director of Programs and Services, SHARE Family and Community Services
-
Kylie Green
Manager, Williams Lake & District Seniors Activity Centre
-
Ed Gavsie
Former President & CEO, Richmond Gives, Richmond Cares (RGRC)
-
Joanne Haramia
Chair, Brock House Society and Member, Westside Seniors Hub
-
David Iwaasa
Vice President & Treasurer, Japanese Canadian Survivors Health & Wellness Fund Society; Past chair, Japanese Community Volunteers Association (Tonari Gumi)
Blog
-
United for Caregivers: How Community Connection Transforms Lives
Dorothy’s journey began when her husband’s health declined. With no nearby family or support, she faced caregiving alone—until she found a lifeline through the United Way BC Family & Friends Caregiver Supports program in Penticton.
-
A Place to Belong: How TAPS is Changing Lives for Burnaby’s Vulnerable Seniors.
-
Weekly Food Hub deliveries of vegetables change lives
Fresh weekly vegetable deliveries make a life changing difference for Delta area seniors.
Questions?
We’d love to hear from you!
The United Way BC Social Prescribing program offers a holistic approach to health care that recognizes the powerful influence of social and environmental factors—such as isolation and lack of community connection—on a person’s overall well-being.
Through this program, older adults are connected to non-medical services and activities in their communities that support their physical, mental, and emotional health. Referrals are made by primary care physicians or other health professionals, helping seniors access the support they need to thrive.
Services may include walking groups, art classes, and volunteer opportunities. Each activity is designed to reduce isolation, support mental well-being, and enhance quality of life.
At the heart of the program are Community Connectors—trusted individuals who work directly with older adults to understand their needs and link them to meaningful local resources and services.
The impact of Social Prescribing is far-reaching, leading to improved mental health, reduced social isolation, enhanced quality of life, and a decreased reliance on medical interventions.
One of the beneficiaries of this program is Bevy-Ann Hansen.
After her husband’s passing, Bevy-Ann Hansen returned to Canada from the USA in 2020, facing the challenges of resettling with no income, social network, or accessible housing to accommodate her wheelchair. Isolated and overwhelmed, she struggled to find stability.
A turning point came when a hospital social worker, following a fall, referred her to the Social Prescribing program at Archway Community Services. There, she met Trina, a compassionate Community Connector who became her advocate and ally.
With Trina’s support, Bevy-Ann secured government benefits, grocery deliveries, and accessed housekeeping services via the United Way BC Better at Home program. “Trina is the first person I come to if I am in trouble,” Bevy-Ann shares.
Thanks to donor support, Bevy-Ann found not just services—but connection, stability, and hope.
The program served 6,597 seniors through 56 agencies and delivered 51,382 non-medical services in 2024-25.
Watch a video featuring a Social Prescribing program in North Vancouver!
Hear from the experts behind Social Prescribing in British Columbia