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News & Resources

News, Stories & Resources

Updates, articles, media releases and resources from the Louisa DaCosta Foundation.

Media Release

New Online Portal to Expand Access to Financial Assistance for South Australians Recovering from Serious Illness

News

Community Partnerships Opportunity

Event

Referrer Training Session Successfully Delivered at Flinders Medical Centre

Recipient Stories

Examples of how the Trust can help.*

Mary H, 65 (photo posed by model)

Mary H, 65

Support during treatment

Mary, 65, was admitted to an SA Health hospital following a sudden and serious medical emergency that required major surgery. The recovery was not straightforward. Mary's specialists asked her to attend daily appointments for several weeks to monitor her progress and manage ongoing treatment.

Mary lives alone and does not drive long distances since her surgery. The nearest hospital is a return trip that quickly added up in fuel and parking costs, on top of medication and everyday bills that did not stop while she was unwell. With no government assistance available to cover these transport costs, Mary was worried she would need to skip appointments.

The Louisa DaCosta Trust worked with Mary's treating team to arrange assistance with her transport costs for the full course of her follow up care. This meant Mary could attend every appointment without the added stress of how to get there or what it would cost her that week.

Mary has since completed her treatment plan and says the support meant one less thing to worry about during a difficult recovery.

*Facsimile example only, showing typical situations and outcomes based on past results.

Jon T, 55 (photo posed by model)

Jon T, 55

Financial support after emergency surgery

Jon, 55, is the sole income earner for his household. He was admitted to an SA Health hospital as an emergency and required surgery with little warning. The recovery period meant Jon was unable to return to work for several months, and his family had no other income to rely on.

Because the illness was sudden and unexpected, Jon had not been able to plan for the loss of income, and he did not qualify for other forms of government support in the short term. Regular bills, including rent and utilities, still needed to be paid while he focused on recovering.

The Louisa DaCosta Trust provided financial assistance to help Jon and his family manage essential costs during his recovery. The Trust also referred Jon to other community services that could offer ongoing support once his immediate needs were addressed.

Jon has since returned to work part time as he continues to recover, and says the assistance gave his family breathing room at a time they needed it most.

*Facsimile example only, showing typical situations and outcomes based on past results.

Bruce H, 85 (photo posed by model)

Bruce H, 85

Help covering an unexpected ambulance cost

Bruce, 85, lives with a long term chronic illness that he manages with ongoing care from SA Health. Despite his usual routine, Bruce experienced a sudden decline that required an emergency ambulance trip to hospital.

Bruce is on a fixed income and the ambulance call out was an unbudgeted expense he had not planned for. As the episode was linked to a chronic condition rather than a new injury, it did not qualify for other cost coverage, and the bill arrived while Bruce was still recovering.

The Louisa DaCosta Trust provided assistance to help Bruce meet the cost of his SA Ambulance service fee, so the unexpected bill did not add financial stress to an already difficult time.

Bruce says he was grateful not to have to worry about the cost on top of his health, and that the support let him focus on getting back on his feet.

*Facsimile example only, showing typical situations and outcomes based on past results.