Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Arcare Noosa is 3.78 out of 5, against 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.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 61% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 211 vs 205 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 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 | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Arcare Noosa provide?
Arcare Noosa reported 211 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 6 minutes above its target of 205 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 42.
In none of the last four quarters did Arcare Noosa meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 206 to 211.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 138 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (32 minutes). In the same quarter, Arcare Noosa also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Arcare Noosa?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 95% of residents surveyed at Arcare Noosa answered “always” or “most of the time”, 7.9 percentage points above the average of 87.1% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.4%) and whether staff are kind and caring (100% against 95.4%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%. Altogether, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. Of residents asked whether the home is well run, 33% answered “always”, 44% “most of the time” and 22% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 94% of residents surveyed at Arcare Noosa answered “always” and 6% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 78% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Arcare Noosa?
When residents surveyed at Arcare Noosa for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 61% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 70% in 2025. Another 33% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Arcare Noosa spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.07 per resident per day, 75% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Arcare Noosa, 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”.
61% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Arcare Noosa spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Arcare Noosa spent $406.14 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $254.47 was 4% 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($48.48), cleaning and laundry ($27.60) and administration ($26.87) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($121.12) and registered nurses ($54.36).
