Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Arcare Hope Island is 3.9 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staff communication is a relative strength
92% 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: 219 vs 216 minutes; registered nurses: 43 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Support for independence is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% across other homes.
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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Arcare Hope Island?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 67% of residents surveyed at Arcare Hope Island said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.4% average across other homes. The share fell from 75% in 2025. Another 33% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Arcare Hope Island spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.32 per resident per day, 14% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Arcare Hope Island reports that 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”.
67% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Arcare Hope Island?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 92% of residents surveyed at Arcare Hope Island answered “always” or “most of the time”, 11.7 percentage points above the average of 80.3% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 84.2%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.2%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 75% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time”, 8% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 67% of residents surveyed at Arcare Hope Island answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 58% answered “always” and 42% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Arcare Hope Island provide?
In January to March 2026, Arcare Hope Island reported 219 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes above its target of 216 minutes. Registered nurses provided 43 of those minutes, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In one of the last four quarters, Arcare Hope Island met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 212 to 219 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 163 of the 219 minutes (74.4%), followed by registered nurses (43 minutes, 19.6%) and enrolled nurses (13 minutes, 5.9%). In the same quarter, Arcare Hope Island also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Arcare Hope Island spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Arcare Hope Island spent $412.27 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $250.81 was 5% below the sector median of $264.85. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($61.53), accommodation and maintenance ($34.29), and cleaning and laundry ($23.25) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($129.17) and registered nurses ($62.24).
