Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Mark Donaldson VC House is 3.97 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 231 minutes against a 224-minute daily care target; RN time is 50 against 45.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Support for independence is below the survey average
57% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
57% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
71% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% 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 | 96.46% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.62% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.22% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.21% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Mark Donaldson VC House?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 57% of residents surveyed at Mark Donaldson VC House answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 31.6 percentage points below the average of 88.6% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (57% against 85.2%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (71% against 93.2%).
On 7 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Mark Donaldson VC House 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?
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, 36% answered “always”, 21% “most of the time”, 21% “some of the time” and 21% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 43% of residents surveyed at Mark Donaldson VC House answered “always” and 36% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 36% answered “always” and 57% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Mark Donaldson VC House provide?
Mark Donaldson VC House reported 231 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 7 minutes above its target of 224 minutes. Registered nurses provided 50 of those minutes, 5 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Mark Donaldson VC House met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 221 to 232 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 231 minutes, personal care workers provided 181 (78.4%), followed by registered nurses (50 minutes, 21.6%). Mark Donaldson VC House also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Mark Donaldson VC House?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 72% of residents surveyed at Mark Donaldson VC House said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. The share was also 72% in 2024. Another 7% answered “some of the time” and 21% “never”.
Food spending at Mark Donaldson VC House in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.20 per resident per day, 29% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Mark Donaldson VC 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.
Sources and Explanation
How does Mark Donaldson VC House spend on resident care?
Total spending at Mark Donaldson VC House in the 2024–25 financial year was $431.07 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $265.32 was in line with 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 ($53.33), accommodation and maintenance ($42.59), and cleaning and laundry ($29.22) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($154.69) and registered nurses ($70.50).
