Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Disability SA Northgate is 3.67 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand 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 303 minutes against a 237-minute daily care target; RN time is 46 against 46.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Following up concerns is below the survey average
54% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
63% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
63% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% 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: 2026 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 2026 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 | 95.37% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.26% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.17% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.24% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.44% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.73% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Disability SA Northgate provide?
In January to March 2026, Disability SA Northgate reported 303 minutes of care per resident per day, 66 minutes above its target of 237 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, matching the registered-nurse target of 46.
Disability SA Northgate met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 296 to 421 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 256 of the 303 minutes (84.5%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 15.2%) and enrolled nurses (1 minute, 0.3%). In the same quarter, Disability SA Northgate also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Disability SA Northgate?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 54% of residents surveyed at Disability SA Northgate answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, below the 84.2% average across other homes by 30.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (63% against 92.7%) and whether the home is well run (63% against 88.1%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
At Disability SA Northgate, 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 36% answered “always”, 18% “most of the time”, 27% “some of the time” and 18% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Disability SA Northgate were asked whether they feel safe, 45% answered “always” and 36% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 45% answered “always” and 45% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Disability SA Northgate?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 63% of residents surveyed at Disability SA Northgate said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 4.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share was also 63% in 2025. Another 18% answered “some of the time” and 18% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Disability SA Northgate spent $38 per resident per day on food, 138% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $2.75 per resident per day, 882% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Disability SA Northgate, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 24% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
63% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
