Attendant care is a service that provides support for your personal and household needs when incapacitated after a motor vehicle accident.  You may need attendant care for a short time during your recovery phase or over the long term for people with catastrophic and permanent injuries.  

• assistance for you to move around and take care of basic personal needs such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, grooming, fitting and use of aids, appliances, hearing and communication devices
  

• cooking, cleaning, laundry, and similar tasks involved in the everyday running of a household   
• routine home and garden maintenance for upkeep that you would have usually undertaken
• home and garden maintenance to ensure safe and easy access

Attendant care benefits are not generally available for: 

• an existing pre-accident injury or condition unless the motor vehicle accident exacerbated the injury or condition 
• services for other members of your family or household 
• travel expenses for you, your family, or your personal care workers, except to and from approved medical or rehabilitation appointments
• people in hospital or in a supported accommodation facility
  

Eligibility for attendant care benefits will be considered by MAC after you have been assessed by an occupational therapist who is qualified to determine your necessary and reasonable needs. 

Your TIO MAC case manager will arrange for occupational therapist to visit you in hospital or at home.  Over time you may need to be assessed periodically to meet your changing needs and circumstances. 

You may be eligible for:

• short term attendant care may be available for up to one year after the date of accident 

• long term benefits for attendant care services, if your injuries meet the prescribed criteria under the Motor Accidents (Compensation) Regulations 1984 and your injury is assessed to be permanent and stable

• interim benefits for attendant care may be available for up to three years, if your injury has not stabilised sufficiently to assess whether you will require long term attendant care
  

Depending on the assessment of what care is necessary and reasonable, attendant care may be funded to maximise your independence and support your recovery.

Attendant care services must be provided by an approved provider as described in the Motor Accidents (Compensation) Regulations 1984. 

Your TIO MAC case manager can provide you with a list of approved providers.  In certain circumstances, approval may be given for services to be provided by someone other than an approved provider. 

MAC will pay for attendant care services directly to the approved service provider.

If MAC has approved attendant care to be provided by someone other than an approved provider, the payments can be made to your bank account, in which case you pay for the attendant care directly.

MAC Scheme funding for attendant care services paid directly to you, may be treated as assessable income by the Australian Tax Office, if not used to pay for the intended attendant care services.

If you employ people directly to provide attendant care, rather than engage a registered attendant care service provider, you may be required to comply with employment laws and advise the Australian Tax Office.  If employing people directly, we recommend you seek professional advice.

The hourly rate payable for attendant care benefits in the Northern Territory is prescribed in Schedule 2 of the Motor Accidents (Compensation) Regulations 1984.

For attendant care provided outside the Northern Territory, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) prescribed rates are payable.