Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Arcare North Shore 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’ 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
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 218 vs 214 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 43 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.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% 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: 2025 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 2025 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 | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Arcare North Shore?
When residents surveyed at Arcare North Shore for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 85.2% average across other homes by 18.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (72% against 89.5%) and whether the home is well run (83% against 89.3%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.6%. In all, answers on 4 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 50% answered “always”, 17% “most of the time” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 83% of residents surveyed at Arcare North Shore answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 61% answered “always” and 28% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Arcare North Shore provide?
Arcare North Shore reported 218 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 4 minutes above its target of 214 minutes. Registered nurses provided 39 of those minutes, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
In none of the last four quarters did Arcare North Shore meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 215 to 220.
Who provides that care?
Of the 218 minutes, personal care workers provided 152 (69.7%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 17.9%) and enrolled nurses (27 minutes, 12.4%). Arcare North Shore also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Arcare North Shore?
When residents surveyed at Arcare North Shore for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 61% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 9.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 60% in 2024. Another 39% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Arcare North Shore in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.38 per resident per day, 36% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Arcare North Shore, 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 North Shore spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Arcare North Shore spent $417.26 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $259.92 was 2% 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 ($45.89), accommodation and maintenance ($39.25), and cleaning and laundry ($28.03) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($131.18) and registered nurses ($59.90).
