The Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) has been awarded a contract worth over $400,000 to provide “professional support” to a Northern Territory provider of flexi-care services.
Malandari Aged Care Centre was formed in 1996 on the edge of town in Borroloola, nearly 1000km south of Darwin, to give residents as much flexibility as possible to provide care for older people in the community.
Malandari has 16 members of staff and delivers services for 16 older members of the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, as well as providing meals and laundry services for older people in the community. It is delivered by Mabunji Aboriginal Resource Indigenous Corporation, which was established in 1983 to support the Aboriginal people and homelands of the Borroloola region.
The government's tenders website reveals that ACCPA was granted the management advisory services contract.
The Department of Health and Aged Care Department told The SOURCE they could not provide details of the contracted services and activities, which will be delivered under the Remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Service Development Assistance Panel (SDAP), without the consent of the provider.
“SDAP provides free professional support to aged care service providers in remote areas or who provide care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," the spokesperson said.
“Aged and Community Services Australia, now trading as Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA), were selected via a tender process and have been assessed as a suitable panel member to deliver the support required based on previous experience.”
The contract for services was executed on 21 September 2023 and is in place until 28 March 2024, the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for ACCPA told The SOURCE details of the contract are confidential.
The SOURCE: Remote communities are entitled to equal access to aged care services – but these services do come at a considerable cost.
