Supporting people across regional South Australia
An article written by Amber Bisset, Mariana Ricci and Kate Swetenham, Palliative Care Connect, SA Health
National Palliative Care Week provides an opportunity to look more closely at how Palliative Care Connect (PCC) supports people living in regional and remote areas of South Australia, where palliative care, bereavement pathways and service offerings might be limited.
Across regional areas, these differences are visible in everyday care: travel distances for appointments, visiting clinicians, limited equipment options, which can all shape how and when support is accessed. PCC helps people make sense of what is available locally and how to access the support needed, regardless of where they live.
A statewide model that supports regional communities
PCC is a statewide service available through the 1800 725 548 (PALLI8) phoneline, which provides information and links to palliative care and bereavement supports for people with life-limiting illnesses, their family, friends, and carers, as well as health and aged care professionals. No referral is required.
People contact PCC for a range of reasons, including to seek clarity about what palliative care is, what services are available, how to increase or change levels of home care, or to access carer support. In regional contexts, this often includes people living alone or families coordinating care from a distance, particularly where informal supports are limited. Navigation focuses on understanding the situation, explaining local pathways, clarifying available services, and supporting next steps.
A key strength of this approach is local knowledge: PCC Navigators work closely with regional aged care providers, hospitals and community services, ensuring their guidance is grounded in how services operate within each local area.
Between 2023 and 2025, 43% of people who called PCC were from regional areas. PCC helped people with the legwork to identify ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ to access assistance, work with clients to broker services, and talked family through what palliative care is and what to expect.
Case Study
A family member supporting a parent living in regional South Australia contacted PCC following a cancer diagnosis. At the time, the family member was living interstate, had limited experience navigating palliative and aged care systems, and was unsure how care could be coordinated locally or whether palliative care was appropriate given service availability in the region.
The PCC Navigator clarified what palliative care could offer and, with consent, contacted the local hospital to share background information, meaning the family member did not need to repeat the situation when further review was arranged. PCC also helped link the family with the local specialist palliative care team and supported communication with the treating oncologist based in Adelaide.
PCC’s early involvement helped coordinate care across multiple service levels and gave the family greater clarity during a complex and challenging time.
Regional health professional perspective
A medical officer caring for a patient with cancer and ongoing care needs in a metropolitan hospital contacted PCC while planning discharge home to regional South Australia. The PCC Navigator helped clarify what pain management approaches, services and practical supports could be put in place once the patient returned home. The conversation helped the medical officer prepare for an upcoming family meeting, with reassurance that PCC could be contacted again if needed, including as a contact point for the patient’s family.
Supporting access in regional communities
Regional navigation doesn’t remove distance or create new services, but it enhances clarity around the pathways to access existing supports. It provides a stable point of entry and guidance for subsequent steps, for people living across South Australia.
Call 1800 725 548 (PALLI8) or visit www.palliativecareconnect.com.au.
What's coming next
The final blog in this series looks at grief and bereavement and how PCC can help.
Authors
Amber Bisset
Project Officer, Health Services Programs
Clinical System Support and Improvement, SA Health
Mariana Ricci
Manager – End of Life Care, Health Services Programs
Clinical System Support and Improvement, SA Health
Kate Swetenham
Director of Nursing - End of Life Care, Health Services Programs
Clinical System Support and Improvement, SA Health