Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for mecwacare Flora Hill is 3.85 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
78% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 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.
Worth a closer look
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 | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What is the food like at mecwacare Flora Hill?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 78% of residents surveyed at mecwacare Flora Hill said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 10.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 72% in 2025. Another 14% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, mecwacare Flora Hill spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.27 per resident per day, 4% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to mecwacare Flora Hill, 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”.
78% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about mecwacare Flora Hill?
When residents surveyed at mecwacare Flora Hill for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 7.3 percentage points above the average of 92.7% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (86% against 80.3%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%).
At mecwacare Flora Hill, 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?
Asked whether they feel safe, 86% of residents surveyed at mecwacare Flora Hill answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at mecwacare Flora Hill was 86% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
How much care and nursing does mecwacare Flora Hill provide?
mecwacare Flora Hill reported 210 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 209 minutes. Of those minutes, 44 came from registered nurses, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In three of the last four quarters, mecwacare Flora Hill met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 210 to 216 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 210 minutes, personal care workers provided 152 (72.4%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 21.0%) and enrolled nurses (14 minutes, 6.7%). In the same quarter, mecwacare Flora Hill also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does mecwacare Flora Hill spend on resident care?
Total spending at mecwacare Flora Hill in the 2024–25 financial year was $400.53 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $259.89 was 2% 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 ($45.69), accommodation and maintenance ($30.45), and cleaning and laundry ($24.31) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($144.93) and registered nurses ($72.30).
