Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park is 3.6 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 217 minutes against a 214-minute daily care target; RN time is 47 against 44.
Worth a closer look
Support for independence is below the survey average
59% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
64% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
55% positive in 2025, compared with 80% in 2024: 25 percentage points lower.
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 | 96.46% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.50% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.21% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park?
When residents surveyed at Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 59% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 88.6% average across other homes by 29.6 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (64% against 89.5%) and whether staff explain things to them (59% against 81.8%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
At Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 41% answered “always”, 18% “most of the time”, 32% “some of the time” and 9% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park were asked whether they feel safe, 59% answered “always” and 27% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 55% answered “always” and 27% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 55% of residents surveyed at Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 15.3 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 5% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park spent $16 per resident per day on food, in line with the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.34 per resident per day, 21% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park, 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”.
55% 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 Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park provide?
Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park reported 217 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 3 minutes above its target of 214 minutes. Of those minutes, 47 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In each of the last four quarters, Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 216 to 218.
Who provides that care?
Of the 217 minutes, personal care workers provided 170 (78.3%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 21.7%). Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park spend on resident care?
Total spending at Catholic Healthcare McQuoin Park in the 2024–25 financial year was $435.31 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $253.70 was 4% 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 ($71.11), accommodation and maintenance ($31.48), and cleaning and laundry ($30.29) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($153.17) and registered nurses ($70.89).
