Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Akooramak Care of Older Persons is 2.93 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
Staff communication is a relative strength
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 201 vs 206 minutes; registered nurses: 46 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Sources and Explanation
This is a programmatic interpretation of published data, not an in-person inspection or a separate expert-assigned score. The figures are the Elderberry Index and its four government component ratings; a measure the home has no published rating for is left out. Our rating methodology.
Ratings: August 2026. Survey comparisons: 2026 interview responses from that extract. Other Australian homes in the same ratings extract; survey comparisons also require the same interview year. Each eligible home has equal weight; missing/invalid values excluded. These are descriptive comparisons, not resident-weighted or adjusted for differences in care needs.
How findings are selected
Survey gaps of at least 3 percentage points, rating gaps of at least 0.3 stars, and changes of at least 10 percentage points can qualify. These are editorial selection thresholds, not tests of statistical significance. Benchmarks need at least 30 homes. Each side shows up to three eligible findings; missing values never become negative findings. Specific combined food evidence and sustained care-target results are prioritised, then larger differences. Respect and caring are grouped when both qualify.
Food spending uses the My Aged Care sector median for Jan–Mar 2026; resident enjoyment comes from the 2026 survey. The combined finding reports two separate observations from different reporting periods; it does not establish that spending caused the survey result. Year-to-year survey samples may differ and respondent counts are unavailable. Care consistency uses the latest four submitted, quality-checked care-minute records and direct RN minutes without EN top-up.
A lower compliance rating is a comparison with other homes, not a claim of an active sanction. Higher expenditure alone is not treated as better care. Unadjusted clinical incident measures are not used to rank quality here.
My Aged Care home profile · Government Star Ratings extract
Benchmark populations
| Measure | Mean | Other homes |
|---|---|---|
| Elderberry Index | 3.81 | 2365 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2395 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Akooramak Care of Older Persons provide?
In January to March 2026, Akooramak Care of Older Persons reported 201 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes below its target of 206 minutes. Registered nurses provided 46 of those minutes, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Akooramak Care of Older Persons met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 197 to 203 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 201 minutes, personal care workers provided 146 (72.6%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 22.9%) and enrolled nurses (9 minutes, 4.5%). Akooramak Care of Older Persons also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Akooramak Care of Older Persons?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 74% of residents surveyed at Akooramak Care of Older Persons answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, below the 92.7% average across other homes by 18.7 percentage points. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (74% against 88.1%) and whether they get the care they need (84% against 94.4%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 95% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.1%. Altogether, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 53% answered “always”, 21% “most of the time”, 11% “some of the time” and 16% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 84% of residents surveyed at Akooramak Care of Older Persons answered “always” and 5% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Akooramak Care of Older Persons?
When residents surveyed at Akooramak Care of Older Persons for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 68% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share fell from 72% in 2025. Another 26% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Akooramak Care of Older Persons spent $12 per resident per day on food, 25% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.13 per resident per day, 54% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Akooramak Care of Older Persons, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
68% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Akooramak Care of Older Persons spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Akooramak Care of Older Persons spent $420.36 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $244.97 was 8% below the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Spending on other categories included administration ($41.30), accommodation and maintenance ($34.10), and cleaning and laundry ($33.37) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($151.54) and registered nurses ($49.14).
