Local Community Ecosystem Activation: Impacting the Wellbeing of Older Adults

Background: Across Alberta, communities are transforming how they support older adults—not by waiting for new programs, but by weaving together what already exists. The Alberta Association on Gerontology (AAG) and Healthy Aging Alberta (HAA) partnered to document these grassroots successes in the Community Ecosystems Project—a case study of nine communities that built connected networks to sustain older adults’ health and wellbeing. These networks link health, social, and community services through trusted relationships, volunteerism, and shared purpose. Together, they show how to move from fragmented systems to woven networks—activated community ecosystems.

 

Methods: From 2024 to 2025, focus groups were held in nine urban, rural, and remote communities with local government leaders, Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), Primary Care Networks (PCNs), nonprofits, and volunteers. Using the Healthy Communities Weaving Framework, findings were analyzed across five elements describing how communities connect and sustain collaboration: The Fire, The Web, The Rhythm, The Circles, and The Spiral.

 

Findings: The Fire – Bringing the Community Together:

Change begins with a spark—a shared concern that mobilizes action. Organizations and residents united around older adults’ wellbeing, leveraging grants or provincial initiatives to accelerate progress.

 

The Web – Relationships that Hold the Community Together:

Partnerships were built on trust and shared values: “egos left at the door.” A strong “how can we help” culture prevailed, with volunteers as the backbone of engagement. Link workers and navigators were essential for timely access and coordination, especially in rural areas.

The Rhythm – Staying Connected:

Regular interagency meetings, huddles, and co-location of services strengthened collaboration, communication, and problem-solving.

The Circles – Defining Roles and Shared Assets:

Partners contributed time, space, and funding to fill gaps. Administrative resources were shared, and all orders of government—local, regional, and provincial—were engaged. This distributed leadership model fostered flexibility and resilience.

The Spiral – Journeying Together:

Communities identified priorities for sustainability: stable funding, reduced administrative burden, better data systems, expanded respite and mental health supports, stronger primary care partnerships, and enhanced support for family caregivers. Participants emphasized that success depends on “just doing it and finding new paths around obstacles.”

 

Key Learnings

• Community engagement requires intentionality, infrastructure, and relational investment.
• Capacity development—not programs alone—is the foundation of community impact.
• Each community ecosystem is unique; success evolves from local assets, history, and trust.

 

Outcomes: Activated community ecosystems enhance quality of life for older adults, strengthen provider partnerships, and expand supports for family caregivers. They build collective capacity and show that health and wellbeing are co-produced locally, not delivered centrally.

 

Implications: for Integrated Care This Alberta study aligns with international lessons (Costa Rica, UK): population health depends on locally connected systems addressing social needs alongside medical care. Local Community Ecosystem Activation shows how integration grows through relationships and shared purpose.

 

Conclusion: When communities connect across sectors with a shared vision, they activate the true infrastructure of healthy aging: relationships, trust, and shared leadership. Alberta’s experience shows that sustainable integration begins not with system reform, but with communities already weaving wellbeing from the ground up.