Katherine, Northern Territory.

Frontier Services Community Care Katherine commenced in early 2008 as a pilot program to provide day respite to clients within Rocky Ridge Nursing Home.  The service provides day respite for up to 10 clients per day thus enabling the carers to have a break.  Clients attend from Katherine and the smaller communities outside of Katherine.

This service has grown steadily and in July 2010 we commenced 22 Community Aged Care Packages, with five in Mataranka approximately 110 kilometres south of Katherine and five in Jilkminggan a small Aboriginal Community 30 kilometres from Mataranka.  We also service three clients 90 kilometres north of Katherine at Pine Creek and Kybrook Farm.

The Department of Veterans Affairs – Home Care Services commenced in October 2011.  This service provides low care, domestic assistance, personal care, social assistance, respite care and safety related home and garden maintenance. Also Consumer Directed Care – a pilot program with the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, commenced in 2011 delivering eight Low Care packages. 

A small Home and Community Care transport service funded by the NT Government provides transport for the aged and disabled of Katherine.

This serviced is managed by a Coordinator and staffed with an Activities Officer, Driver and experienced Support Workers. 

The purpose of the packages is to assist older people to stay living as independently as possible in their own homes.