Lutheran Care is delivering a Social Prescribing Pilot Program in Gawler, which is focused on strengthening connections in the community and improving the wellbeing of individuals, many who are experiencing loneliness.
The pilot, funded by Country SA PHN through the Australian Government PHN program, comes as levels of loneliness and social isolation have risen across regional South Australia in people of all ages, while general practices are seeing a growing number of patients presenting with social and wellbeing concerns such as stress, low mood, substance use, and financial or housing pressures.
While these issues significantly impact health, many are nonmedical in nature and do not require clinical mental health interventions. This places additional pressure on GPs, who often have limited time to respond to complex social needs.
The Social Prescribing Pilot Program is only available to existing patients at the Adelaide Road Clinic in Gawler and patients from sister clinic Williamstown Medical.
Lutheran Care’s Operations Manager Family and Community Services (Barossa, Light & Lower North) Helen Walker said the pilot was a great opportunity to show that social prescribing was needed in the local community.
“By working alongside Adelaide Road Clinic and with funding from Country SA PHN (Primary Health Network), we’re showing that there is a gap in this area,” Helen said.
“The gap is now being filled through this pilot program and the data we’re collating will feed into an established social prescribing program.”
Lutheran Care’s Wellbeing Clinician for the Social Prescribing Pilot Program, Niamh Fitzgerald, is working alongside the GP team at Adelaide Road Clinic, ensuring patients receive the right support at the right time, while freeing up GP capacity for clinical care.
As Wellbeing Clinician, she can:
- support people who are feeling isolated to join a social group, art class, community garden, volunteering opportunity, or other community activities
- connect someone experiencing financial stress with services that can help with debt, budgeting, housing, or accessing financial supports
- support someone with a health condition, such as high blood pressure, to find physical activities they enjoy and feel comfortable doing
- helping people build confidence, strengthen social connections, and improve their overall wellbeing.
Since the program began in July, Niamh said some concerns patients have been presenting with included social isolation, relationship issues, Domestic Violence, financial difficulty and homelessness.
“Demographics have so far been very varied. We’ve had a mix of everyone, from an 11-year-old who was referred in, to older people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and everyone in between,” Niamh said.
She added she had seen people who had been struggling to access services like My Aged Care and NDIS, and in these instances, she can provide advice and information.
Adelaide Road Clinic Practice Manager Melinda Blatchford said the clinic had been receiving positive feedback from those who had connected with the service.
“Our goal is to support our patients in all aspects of their health and wellbeing,” Melinda said.
“Due to the demand for appointments, our doctors often need to prioritise a patient’s clinical needs but often comment on areas they were not able to get to and support with.”
To access the Social Prescribing Pilot Program, you must be a current patient at the Adelaide Road Clinic, Gawler, or Williamstown Medical.
For referrals into the service please speak with your GP, nurse or the clinic’s administration and reception team when you visit the clinic.
Alternatively, current patients can contact the clinic at the details below:
- Adelaide Road Clinic
- 25 Adelaide Road, Gawler
- (08) 8522 1466