$863,000 funding boost for HACC in the NT

The Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, and Northern Territory (NT) Minister for Senior Territorians, Malarndirri McCarthy, have announced an extra $863,000 for Home and Community Care (HACC) services in the Northern Territory.

The additional funding is part of a three-year plan for (HACC) in the NT, which will see the Territory, receive more than $36 million over the next three years.

Ms McCarthy said there was a growing need in the NT to provide basic support services at home and in the community.

“The Northern Territory has unique aged and community care challenges – remote communities and a diverse population,” she said.

“This service provides vital services to seniors and people with disabilities, and their carers.

“The three-year plan will help make transport services available in remote areas and for respite care, particularly for the culturally and linguistically diverse community of the NT,” Ms McCarthy said.

The announcement complements the more than 700 community care places in the Northern Territory funded by the Australian Government.

The Northern Territory is the only place in Australia where there are more community care places than nursing home ones. In the NT, there are only five aged care providers and 15 separate services providing 465 residential care places.

Overall, in 2008-09, the Australian Government would invest $64 million in aged and community care in the Northern Territory. That is an 11.8% increase over the previous year’s expenditure in the NT.

Over the next four years (from 2008-09), the Australian Government will provide $285 million to the NT to support aged and community care.