Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie 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
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 218 vs 210 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
56% positive in 2026, compared with 72% in 2025: 16 percentage points lower.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie provide?
In January to March 2026, Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie reported 218 minutes of care per resident per day, 8 minutes above its target of 210 minutes. Of those minutes, 39 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
In none of the last four quarters did Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 211 to 218 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 133 minutes, followed by enrolled nurses (45 minutes) and registered nurses (39 minutes). In the same quarter, Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 66% of residents surveyed at Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 80.3% average across other homes by 14.3 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (72% against 84.2%) and whether staff are kind and caring (84% against 95.4%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.2%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 33% answered “always”, 33% “most of the time” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 61% of residents surveyed at Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 56% of residents surveyed at Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 11.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 72% in 2025. Another 33% answered “some of the time” and 11% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie spent $20 per resident per day on food, 25% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie 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”.
56% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Helping Hand Aged Care - Lealholme Port Pirie spent $449.72 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $266.25 was 1% above 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 ($65.01), cleaning and laundry ($45.34), and accommodation and maintenance ($36.83) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($117.28) and registered nurses ($64.98).
