Ngaanyatjarra Council appoints Aged Care Manager for Ngaanyatjarra Health Service

The Ngaanyatjarra Council has appointed Janina Pokucinski as the new Manager of Aged Care for Ngaanyatjarra Health, part of the Ngaanyatjarra Health Service (NHS). This appointment reflects the Council’s ongoing commitment to providing comprehensive and culturally appropriate care for Yarnangu across the Lands.

The NHS oversees a residential aged care facility in Wanarn, a purpose-built, 15-bed facility currently home to eleven Yarnangu residents, many of whom experience high to severe dementia. While the facility also offers respite care, plans are underway to repurpose an adjacent space into a common living area for respite residents, enhancing the care environment.

NHS’s focus, however, extends far beyond residential care. Whenever possible, the preferred mode of aged care is in-home support, enabling Yarnangu to remain in their communities while receiving necessary care. This presents unique challenges and opportunities in the remote context of the Lands.

“Working with Yarnangu on the Lands in aged care is an exciting and diverse challenge – there are many more facets to consider than in typical mainstream aged care scenarios,” Janina said.

Ngaanyatjarra Health operates under the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFAC), which supports culturally appropriate aged care services in remote areas. This funding model integrates residential care, community home support, and home care support packages, placing the responsibility on the provider to deliver and allocate agreed funding across these areas.

“Janina’s role involves coordinating all three streams of aged care services, a setup that’s unique compared to mainstream environments,” said Tim O’Brien, General Manager of Ngaanyatjarra Health. 

“While we’ve managed residential and home support well, we see a significant opportunity to expand home care support packages. This will not only strengthen aged care services but also create opportunities for Yarnangu employment,” O’Brien added.

Improved home care support is seen as a key avenue for growth. 

“Keeping aged care within our communities for as long as possible is vital,” Janina said. 

“Expanding services like home care also offers significant employment opportunities across the Lands,” she added.

Janina has extensive experience in disability and aged care, having worked in government and private roles in Australia and the United Kingdom. Her career includes managing group homes for people with disabilities and two decades in aged care roles with Silver Chain. She has worked extensively in the Coastal and Inland wheatbelt managing remote Aged Care Services and in the Great Southern with private organisations. 

“Having a specialist like Janina in this role allows us to expand and innovate our aged care offering,”

“This will lay the foundation for the future of aged care on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands,” O’Brien said.

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