NT PHN is excited to announce the new Care Finder services for the Northern Territory.
The Care Finder program, which kicked off earlier this year, provides specialist and intensive assistance to help senior Territorians to navigate, understand and access aged care support.
Importantly, it will provide local, face-to-face support for this vulnerable population in Darwin, Palmerston, Darwin Rural area, Katherine, and Alice Springs.
The program, which is being rolled out nationally, was announced by the Federal Government following recommendations within the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (2021).
As part of the program, Care Finders will focus on connecting with older people who have significant difficulty navigating the aged care service system. Care Finders will also assist people to access and connect with aged care services within their local community.
NT PHN CEO, Gill Yearsley, said the Care Finder program will improve the health and wellbeing of older and vulnerable Territorians, no matter where they live.
“The Care Finder Program will deliver a localised service tailored to the needs of our senior Territorians who often find the aged care system complex and difficult to access the services they need, when they need them,” she said.
“The Care Finder program is made up of a workforce that has an extensive knowledge of the aged care system and is trained to work with older, vulnerable people.  The workers support people in navigating the system and connects them with the services they need, then keeps checking in to ensure they continue to have their needs met.”
Existing Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) providers, Larrakia Nation, Anglicare NT, and East Arnhem Regional Council all transitioned to become Care Finders early in the new year.
Following an open tender process, Anglicare NT was selected to deliver Care Finders in the additional regions/areas of Alice Springs, Katherine, Wagait, Coomalie (Batchelor only), and Belyuen.
Providers and the locations they service are as listed below:
- Larrakia Nation: Darwin, Palmerston
- Anglicare NT: Darwin, Palmerston, Litchfield, with future service expansion planned for Alice Springs, Katherine, Wagait, Coomalie (Batchelor only), and Belyuen
- East Arnhem Regional Council: East Arnhem
All providers will complement, not duplicate, the existing Federal program My Aged Care.
My Aged Care is designed to be the starting point to find out about and access aged care services, while the Care Finders program will provide more localised and face-to-face support to navigate access to the system.
The new Care Finders services will run until 30 June 2025.
