Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Brightwater Madeley is 3 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
Following up concerns is above the survey average
96% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.0% across other homes.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 218 vs 216 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Support for independence is below the survey average
59% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% 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 | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.28% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Brightwater Madeley?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 59% of residents surveyed at Brightwater Madeley answered “always” or “most of the time”, 29.6 percentage points below the average of 88.6% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (77% against 89.5%) and whether the home is well run (81% against 89.3%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 96% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 85.2%. In all, answers on 3 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 staff support residents to do things for themselves. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 14% answered “always”, 45% “most of the time”, 36% “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Brightwater Madeley were asked whether they feel safe, 59% answered “always” and 41% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 50% answered “always” and 45% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Brightwater Madeley?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 50% of residents surveyed at Brightwater Madeley said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 20.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 80% in 2024. Another 41% answered “some of the time” and 9% “never”.
Food spending at Brightwater Madeley in January to March 2026 was $18 per resident per day, 13% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.73 per resident per day, 161% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Brightwater Madeley reports that breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 44% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
50% 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 Brightwater Madeley provide?
Brightwater Madeley reported 218 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 2 minutes above its target of 216 minutes. Registered nurses provided 42 of those minutes, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
Brightwater Madeley met both its total and registered-nurse targets in two of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 217 to 221 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 162 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (42 minutes) and enrolled nurses (15 minutes). Brightwater Madeley also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Brightwater Madeley spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Brightwater Madeley spent $434.19 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $270.74 was 2% above 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 ($55.11), cleaning and laundry ($47.51), and accommodation and maintenance ($35.06) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($155.43) and registered nurses ($63.19).
