Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Macleay Valley House is 3.7 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 221 minutes against a 210-minute daily care target; RN time is 46 against 43.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
72% positive in 2026, compared with 59% in 2025: 13 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 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.
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 | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Macleay Valley House provide?
In January to March 2026, Macleay Valley House reported 221 minutes of care per resident per day, 11 minutes above its target of 210 minutes. Registered nurses provided 46 of those minutes, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Macleay Valley House met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 211 to 221.
Who provides that care?
Of the 221 minutes, personal care workers provided 175 (79.2%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 20.8%). In the same quarter, Macleay Valley House also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Macleay Valley House?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Macleay Valley House answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, above the 87.1% average across other homes by 12.9 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 80.2%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Macleay Valley House, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on 6 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Macleay Valley House were asked whether they feel safe, 96% answered “always” and 4% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 64% answered “always” and 28% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Macleay Valley House?
When residents surveyed at Macleay Valley House for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 72% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 59% in 2025. Another 28% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Macleay Valley House in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Macleay Valley House reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Macleay Valley House 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”.
72% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
