Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens is 3.3 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Elderberry Index
3.3 / 5
Residents’ experience
3 / 5
Compliance
5 / 5
Staffing
3 / 5
Quality measures
1 / 5
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
94% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
88% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 223 vs 223 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How does Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens spent $303.76 per resident per day on care and nursing, 15% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $507.04 per resident per day. 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 ($78.77), cleaning and laundry ($48.37), and accommodation and maintenance ($37.43) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($151.20) and registered nurses ($61.58).
What do residents say about Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 94% of residents surveyed at Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 89.1% average across other homes by 4.9 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.4%) and whether staff are kind and caring (100% against 95.4%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.2%. Altogether, answers on 3 of the 10 questions were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
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, 56% answered “always”, 19% “most of the time”, 13% “some of the time” and 13% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 69% of residents surveyed at Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 56% answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”.
How much does Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens spend on food?
Food spending at Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $2.66 per resident per day, 850% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. All meals are prepared on site.
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens provide?
Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, matching its target of 223 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In none of the last four quarters did Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 223 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 223 minutes, personal care workers provided 140 (62.8%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 18.8%) and enrolled nurses (41 minutes, 18.4%). Helping Hand Aged Care - Parafield Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
