Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Carino Care at Oatley is 3.75 out of 5, compared with 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 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 227 minutes against a 220-minute daily care target; RN time is 46 against 44.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 64% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
64% positive in 2025, compared with 77% in 2024: 13 percentage points lower.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
65% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 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 |
How much care and nursing does Carino Care at Oatley provide?
Carino Care at Oatley reported 227 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 7 minutes above its target of 220 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
Carino Care at Oatley met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 227 to 242 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 182 minutes, followed by registered nurses (46 minutes). Carino Care at Oatley also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Carino Care at Oatley?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Carino Care at Oatley answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, below the 85.2% average across other homes by 20.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (72% against 88.6%) and whether staff know what they are doing (79% against 89.5%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.9%. Altogether, 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?
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, 36% answered “always”, 29% “most of the time”, 29% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 64% of residents surveyed at Carino Care at Oatley answered “always” and 36% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 36% answered “always” and 57% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Carino Care at Oatley?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 64% of residents surveyed at Carino Care at Oatley said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 6.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 77% in 2024. Another 36% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Carino Care at Oatley in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.41 per resident per day, 46% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Carino Care at Oatley, 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”.
64% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Carino Care at Oatley spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Carino Care at Oatley spent $410.18 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $253.97 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($47.34), administration ($41.74), and cleaning and laundry ($25.84) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($152.30) and registered nurses ($59.09).
