Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bupa Merrimac is 3.01 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staff communication is a relative strength
89% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 215 vs 224 minutes; registered nurses: 37 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
48% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% 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 | 3.19 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.28% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Bupa Merrimac provide?
In January to March 2026, Bupa Merrimac reported 215 minutes of care per resident per day, 9 minutes below its target of 224 minutes. Registered nurses provided 37 of those minutes, 8 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
Bupa Merrimac met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 203 to 215 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 168 minutes, followed by registered nurses (37 minutes) and enrolled nurses (9 minutes). In the same quarter, Bupa Merrimac also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Bupa Merrimac?
When residents surveyed at Bupa Merrimac for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 16.2 percentage points below the average of 85.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (74% against 89.3%) and whether staff treat them with respect (85% against 95.9%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 89% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 53% answered “always”, 16% “most of the time” and 32% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 58% of residents surveyed at Bupa Merrimac answered “always” and 37% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 79% answered “always” and 16% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bupa Merrimac?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 48% of residents surveyed at Bupa Merrimac said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 22.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 54% in 2024. Another 42% answered “some of the time” and 11% “never”.
Food spending at Bupa Merrimac in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.24 per resident per day, 14% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Bupa Merrimac 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”.
48% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Bupa Merrimac spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bupa Merrimac spent $407.71 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $245.62 was 7% 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 ($72.75), accommodation and maintenance ($28.40), and cleaning and laundry ($24.72) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($151.46) and registered nurses ($53.75).
