Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for James Milson Village North Sydney is 4.08 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 225 vs 222 minutes; registered nurses: 44 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
70% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% 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: 2025 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 2025 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about James Milson Village North Sydney?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 100% of residents surveyed at James Milson Village North Sydney answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.5 percentage points above the average of 89.5% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%) and whether the home is well run (95% against 89.3%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 70% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 55% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time” and 30% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 80% of residents surveyed at James Milson Village North Sydney answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always” and 20% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does James Milson Village North Sydney provide?
James Milson Village North Sydney reported 225 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 3 minutes above its target of 222 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In two of the last four quarters, James Milson Village North Sydney met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 225 to 248 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 174 of the 225 minutes (77.3%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 19.6%) and enrolled nurses (7 minutes, 3.1%). James Milson Village North Sydney also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at James Milson Village North Sydney?
When residents surveyed at James Milson Village North Sydney for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 70% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. The share fell from 74% in 2024. Another 20% answered “some of the time” and 10% “never”.
In January to March 2026, James Milson Village North Sydney spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.06 per resident per day, 79% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to James Milson Village North Sydney, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. Of all meals, 82% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
70% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does James Milson Village North Sydney spend on resident care?
Total spending at James Milson Village North Sydney in the 2024–25 financial year was $465.17 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 55.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $258.89 was 2% below the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($68.09), accommodation and maintenance ($61.46), and cleaning and laundry ($30.64) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($158.72) and registered nurses ($65.15).
