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 TIO 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 an 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 services for up to one year, or if extended on the advice of a medical practitioner up to two years, from the date of accident
  
  
• long term attendant care services if you have a permanent impairment assessed at 60% or more

The occupational therapist who performs your assessment will make recommendations to TIO MAC as to the attendant care needs and the service providers available.

Depending on the occupational therapist’s assessment of what care is reasonable, TIO MAC can approve up to a maximum of 32 hours per week, less the number of hours that you receive nursing care each week. 

An occupational therapist will make recommendations as for service providers and can make the necessary arrangements.

In some circumstances, the TIO MAC may approve a family member to provide the attendant care services if they meet the necessary standard of care required.

TIO MAC can pay for the attendant care service directly to a professional service provider or if you prefer, 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 that is 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.