Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for HammondCare Waratah is 3.33 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 219 minutes against a 218-minute daily care target; RN time is 44 against 44.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
64% positive in 2026, compared with 44% in 2025: 20 percentage points higher.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
64% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% 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: 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about HammondCare Waratah?
When residents surveyed at HammondCare Waratah for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 94% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 9.8 percentage points above the average of 84.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (96% against 87.1%) and whether staff explain things to them (89% against 80.2%).
On 8 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at HammondCare Waratah were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at HammondCare Waratah were asked whether they feel safe, 80% answered “always” and 18% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 49% answered “always” and 49% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at HammondCare Waratah, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 98% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
What is the food like at HammondCare Waratah?
When residents surveyed at HammondCare Waratah for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 64% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 3.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 44% in 2025. Another 33% answered “some of the time” and 2% “never”.
Food spending at HammondCare Waratah in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.55 per resident per day, 96% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to HammondCare Waratah, 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 much care and nursing does HammondCare Waratah provide?
HammondCare Waratah reported 219 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 218 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 44.
In each of the last four quarters, HammondCare Waratah met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 219 to 234 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 175 of the 219 minutes (79.9%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 20.1%). In the same quarter, HammondCare Waratah also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does HammondCare Waratah spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, HammondCare Waratah spent $417.22 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $259.80 was 2% 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($62.90), accommodation and maintenance ($37.97), and cleaning and laundry ($20.63) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($163.32) and registered nurses ($66.18).
