Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Marsden Park Care Community is 3.41 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
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 report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 203 vs 217 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 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: 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 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 |
How much care and nursing does Marsden Park Care Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Marsden Park Care Community reported 203 minutes of care per resident per day, 14 minutes below its target of 217 minutes. Registered nurses provided 39 of those minutes, 5 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In none of the last four quarters did Marsden Park Care Community meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 203 to 216 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 203 minutes, personal care workers provided 154 (75.9%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 19.2%) and enrolled nurses (10 minutes, 4.9%). Marsden Park Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Marsden Park Care Community?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at Marsden Park Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 88.6% average across other homes by 11.4 percentage points. 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 staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 85.2%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 42% answered “always”, 35% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 69% of residents surveyed at Marsden Park Care Community answered “always” and 27% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 62% answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Marsden Park Care Community?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 69% of residents surveyed at Marsden Park Care Community 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 rose from 64% in 2024. Another 31% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Marsden Park Care Community in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.06 per resident per day, 79% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Marsden Park Care Community, 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”.
69% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Marsden Park Care Community spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Marsden Park Care Community spent $415.77 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $261.06 was 1% 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 accommodation and maintenance ($51.38), administration ($28.82), and cleaning and laundry ($26.60) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($154.17) and registered nurses ($64.12).
