Palliative Care Services

Palliative Care Connect is a new statewide service that provides information and links to palliative care and bereavement supports in South Australia. Learn more.

Care for people with a life-limiting illness is often provided by a general practitioner and other primary health care providers. All professionals caring for people with a life-limiting illness need to assess and identify palliative and comfort in initial treatment planning and throughout the progress of the disease.

Specialist palliative care teams work in a consultative role with general practitioners and other health care providers when patient’s needs cannot be met exclusively by primary care teams. It encompasses a range of health care services, from hospitals, hospice care, or in the community such as home or residential care.

Eligibility

A person is eligible for referral to specialist palliative care services if:

• they have a progressive, life limiting illness
• they or their decision maker, is aware of, understands and has agreed to a palliative care referral
• the primary goals of patient care are to control symptoms, maximise function, maintain quality of life and provide comfort.

Palliative Care Connect Navigators can be contacted to discuss if a referral to specialist palliative care services is appropriate, and potential other options available to support people with a life-limiting illness, and their carers.

Referrals to Specialist Palliative Care Services

Referrals can be made by medical practitioners, other health professionals and the individual or family members/carer.

Referrals for people in the community (that is, home or residential care), or people requiring an outpatient clinic appointment, can be made by faxing a completed Palliative Care Referral form (PDF 584KB) to your local palliative care service. 

This form is available as a writable PDF - Palliative Care Referral form (PDF 584KB).

New referrals will be processed during office hours Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 4.00 pm.

Patients in an acute setting/hospital are referred using local inpatient procedures.

South Australian Palliative Care Navigation Pilot

A new Palliative Care Navigation Pilot is underway in South Australia.

Palliative Care Connect, funded through a $7.27 million grant from the Australian Government, is a new statewide service that provides information and links to palliative care and bereavement supports in South Australia.

An information line is available for people with life-limiting illnesses and their family members, friends, and carers, as well as healthcare professionals.

Palliative Care Navigators, available through the information line, provide information, service linkages, and empower individuals to make choices aligned with their culture and preferences.

Palliative Care Navigators also support general practitioners and other healthcare professions, including those who work in palliative care units, acute care and aged care services to organise and link people to appropriate palliative care, supports or services.

In 2024, Palliative Care Connect will also feature a consumer-friendly website, improved volunteer coordination and access to bereavement services navigation.

The goal is to increase access to palliative care and bereavement supports by assisting with smoother transitions between types of care and providing guidance into end-of-life care pathways.

Palliative Care Connect will also create better links between primary health networks, specialist palliative care services, and relevant community-based services.

Further updates will be provided as the pilot progresses.