Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for IRT Berala on the Park is 4.04 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
42% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.4% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
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 | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.11% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about IRT Berala on the Park?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 69% of residents surveyed at IRT Berala on the Park answered “always” or “most of the time”, 20.1 percentage points below the average of 89.1% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (84% against 95.4%) and whether they get the care they need (84% against 94.4%).
On 7 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at IRT Berala on the Park were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 37% answered “always”, 32% “most of the time” and 32% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 68% of residents surveyed at IRT Berala on the Park answered “always” and 26% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at IRT Berala on the Park?
When residents surveyed at IRT Berala on the Park for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 42% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 25.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share rose from 33% in 2025. Another 53% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Food spending at IRT Berala on the Park in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.39 per resident per day, 39% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
IRT Berala on the Park reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 47% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
42% 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 IRT Berala on the Park provide?
IRT Berala on the Park reported 245 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 13 minutes above its target of 232 minutes. Registered nurses provided 48 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 46.
In one of the last four quarters, IRT Berala on the Park met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 221 to 245.
Who provides that care?
Of the 245 minutes, personal care workers provided 192 (78.4%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 19.6%) and enrolled nurses (5 minutes, 2.0%). In the same quarter, IRT Berala on the Park also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does IRT Berala on the Park spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, IRT Berala on the Park spent $453.24 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 57.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $262.31 was 1% 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?
Other categories included administration ($72.78), accommodation and maintenance ($40.57), and cleaning and laundry ($30.48) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($158.36) and registered nurses ($66.17).
