Docker River Flexible Aboriginal Aged Care Service Report
The Australian Government is implementing recommendations made by the Aged Care Commissioner into a remote Northern Territory Indigenous flexible aged care service.
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20 December 2008
The Australian Government is implementing recommendations made by the Aged Care Commissioner into a remote Northern Territory Indigenous flexible aged care service.
The formal response is being prepared within the $46 million Indigenous Aged Care Plan.
On September 22, the Australian Government asked the Aged Care Commissioner, Ms Rhonda Parker to conduct an assessment of the Docker River flexible Aboriginal aged care service and the death of a female Pitjantatjara elder on June 15, 2007.
As an immediate response, the Australian Government has funded the installation of two interim fire safety protection devices at the Docker River aged care service and is providing funding for the installation of fire pit protection devices at 11 other Indigenous specific services.
As part of the assessment, Ms Parker visited Docker River and examined more than 1,500 pages of documentation, including the Coroner’s report and Departmental materials.
Docker River is one of the most remote aged care services in Australia. It is located about 670 kilometres southwest of Alice Springs and the service covers the cross border region of South Australia, Western Australia and the NT.
Ms Parker interviewed staff at the Docker River aged care service and at the Department of Health and Ageing, as well as the family of the deceased elder and Ms Maggie Kavanagh – who raised concerns about the service.
After receiving the report, the Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot described details about the conditions at the service in the Parker report as “distressing and unacceptable” and “clearly in need of improvement”.
The Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot visited Docker River and Mutitjulu at Ulruruon December 18. In addition, a copy of Ms Parker’s report was presented to Mr Neil Bell, the lawyer who is representing the family of the Pitjantatjara elder who died.
The report found that there was a need for improvements to the existing quality framework for Indigenous flexible aged care services and that the Docker River service needed repairs and other improvements.
The Australian Government is acting on a number of the Parker recommendations, including:
- A $800,000 grant to MacDonnell Shire Council to provide additional overnight staff accommodation at Docker River to help retain staff;
- A review of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care services;
- Establishing a Peer and Professional Support Program to give Indigenous aged care providers access to a range of support services, such as locum relief and governance, financial and care management;
- Developing the first independent quality framework to set standards for remote Indigenous flexible aged services in order to improve quality; and
- Emergency works to provide funding to make immediate improvements to the facility and surroundings.
“For more than a decade, there has not been a thorough review or examination of the regulatory framework on flexible Indigenous aged care.
“This Government is now moving towards consultation on the drafting of the first quality standards,” Mrs Elliot said.
The flexible services in remote and very remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities were set up to enable Indigenous people “to age in country with the support of government funded aged care services in their own community”.
Docker River is a 26-place service with a combination of high, low and community-based Aboriginal aged care.
A copy of the report can be found on the department's website.
For more information, contact Minister Elliot's office on (02) 6277 7280
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