ESTEVAN — The Estevan Community Wellness Committee has announced the hiring of Sheila Farstad as its new community connector.
In an interview with SaskToday, Farstad said she is becoming better acquainted with what Estevan has to offer. She has been busy introducing herself to different people and organizations.
As the community connector, Farstad will be tasked with getting to know what is available socially for people, meeting with the public and getting to know the needs of those referred to her, and then connecting people with those services.
“For somebody it might be as simple as they need somebody to talk to, or maybe they don’t drive anymore and they need somebody to help them get to things,” she said. “Every person will be different and every outcome will be different.”
She will dedicate her time to working with seniors, based on the terms of the grant for her role. Estevan was fortunate to receive the funding, Farstad said, since there are 11 connectors in the province.
“Our Estevan Community Wellness Committee has done a wonderful job in the fact that they have secured this,” said Farstad, noting the committee has a good plan and members from different sectors.
Farstad has also been to a meeting with the other connectors in the province.
“I’m really glad that I went, because it really gave me a feel for what I was getting myself into,” said Farstad.
The committee says it is partnering with the Sask. Seniors Mechanism to take part in a social prescribing pilot project in Saskatchewan. Social prescribing provides an opportunity to help individuals aged 55-plus to improve their wellness by connecting them with local activities and support through a community connector.
In a press release, the committee said referrals to the community connector can come from health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, social workers, paramedics, etc., along with family, friends or self-referrals. The purpose of the program is to improve wellness through improved social connections within the community.
The role of the community connector, the committee said, is to fill social prescriptions by helping individuals build a tailored wellness plan specifically for them and connecting people to relevant local services, programs and supports to help them feel better and rely less on medical care.
As the steering committee for the social prescribing program locally, the Estevan Community Wellness Committee has secured funding until the end of 2027 with the hopes that this will become a permanent position in the community. The aim, the committee said, is to make life better by encouraging friendships, support and confidence.
“Studies have shown that this approach helps communities become healthier and happier, while also lowering health inequalities, which means making sure everyone gets a fair chance to be well,” the committee said in a news release.
As this is a pilot project, the Estevan Community Wellness Committee said it will continue to look for service gaps or barriers for ways to improve or develop programs based on community needs, and for feedback from the community connector and the community.
