Govt details its commitment to NT aged and community care
The Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot has detailed the Government’s commitment to the long-term viability of the Northern Territory’s aged care sector and the protection of the Territory’s frail and elderly. The statement comes in the wake of recent figures which showed no applications for new aged care beds to be built in the NT.
The Minister’s statement said the Government had a four-pronged approach, which comprised record financial support; targeting the $300 million Zero Real Interest Loans to the Northern Territory; employment programs to support, encourage and retain aged care workers; and practical measures to support urban and very remote services.
In the NT, there are only five aged care providers and 15 separate services providing 465 residential care places. In addition, there are 774 community care packages allowing people to remain in their own homes with support.
“The Northern Territory has unique aged and community care challenges – remote communities and a diverse population,” Mrs Elliot said.
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, the Australian Government will provide $285 million to the NT to support aged and community care.
Mrs Elliot said the second round of the $300 million Zero Real Interest Loans will specifically tackle the challenges in providing aged care services to the Northern Territory.
The Department of Health and Ageing reviewed the first stage of the $300 million commitment and recommended that it target the Northern Territory.
“No Australian Government has invested more into NT aged and community care.” Mrs Elliot said there was also construction activity in the NT, pointing to the 65 bed service currently being built in Darwin.
In addition, the Australian Government is providing $46 million to improve aged care through its Indigenous Aged Care Plan announced in September 2008.
The $46 million Indigenous Aged Care Plan is designed to improve the long-term quality of aged care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. The plan includes: developing a quality framework to set standards for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program; establishing a capital grants program; developing a Peer and Professional Support program ; and providing an emergency assistance program to give short-term support to eligible care services in a crisis.
Since September, Mrs Elliot has announced a number of practical measures for remote and indigenous aged care services. They include: in-principle approval to create eight flexible care beds in Mutitjulu’s first permanent overnight aged care service; $1m grant to Frontier Services to build overnight staff accommodation at Mutitjulu to attract and retain staff; an $800,000 grant to MacDonnell Shire Council to provide additional overnight staff accommodation at Tjilpi Pampaku Ngara (Docker River) Flexible Aged Care service to retain staff at this remote aged care service; and in-principle approval to create a 10 place flexible residential aged care service in East Arnhem – following representations at Community Cabinet on 23 July, 2008.
