As part of our aged care early intervention initiatives, we are aiming to integrate social prescribing into primary care, to improve the health system response to older adults who present at general practice with social care needs that, if not addressed, will result in poor health outcomes. This will be achieved by bringing community services and general practice together through Wellbeing Connectors, who will liaise between patients/consumers, health professionals and community organisations to match patients/consumers with relevant social supports and activities in the community.

Organisations are invited to submit a proposal for the establishment of Wellbeing Connector Services in the Nepean Blue Mountains region, which includes the Penrith, Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Lithgow local government areas. The Wellbeing Connectors will work with older adults aged 65 years and over (or aged 55 years and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) to improve access to formal and informal services across the region to meet their social and community care needs.