Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
One finding is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 223 vs 222 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
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. No survey comparison is made: the survey year in the ratings extract does not match this home’s latest survey. 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.
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 | 2366 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2435 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2396 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2455 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2457 |
What is the food like at Arcare Waterview?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 68% of residents surveyed at Arcare Waterview said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 22 percentage points lower than the 90% recorded in 2025. Another 26% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Arcare Waterview spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.25 per resident per day, 11% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Arcare Waterview 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”.
68% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Arcare Waterview provide?
In January to March 2026, Arcare Waterview reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day, 1 minute above its target of 222 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
Arcare Waterview met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 221 to 223 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 223 minutes, personal care workers provided 152 (68.2%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 18.4%) and enrolled nurses (30 minutes, 13.5%). In the same quarter, Arcare Waterview also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Arcare Waterview?
The highest share of “always” or “most of the time” answers in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey at Arcare Waterview, 100%, came on 6 of the 10 questions other than food, including whether they get the care they need. The lowest share, 89%, came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 42% answered “always”, 47% “most of the time” and 11% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Arcare Waterview were asked whether they feel safe, 74% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”.
How does Arcare Waterview spend on resident care?
Total spending at Arcare Waterview in the 2024–25 financial year was $411.01 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $261.31 was 1% 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 ($49.81), cleaning and laundry ($26.81), and accommodation and maintenance ($24.06) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($127.83) and registered nurses ($58.20).
