Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for mecwacare O'Mara House is 4.45 out of 5, against 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 205 minutes against a 204-minute daily care target; RN time is 44 against 42.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
69% positive in 2026, compared with 57% in 2025: 12 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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: 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 | 3.06 | 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 | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at mecwacare O'Mara House?
When residents surveyed at mecwacare O'Mara House for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 12 percentage points higher than the 57% recorded in 2025. Another 31% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at mecwacare O'Mara House in January to March 2026 was $19 per resident per day, 19% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.62 per resident per day, 121% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
mecwacare O'Mara 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”.
69% 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 O'Mara House?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they get the care they need, 100% of residents surveyed at mecwacare O'Mara House answered “always” or “most of the time”, 5.6 percentage points above the average of 94.4% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (92% against 87.1%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.4%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 85% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 92.7%. Altogether, answers on 4 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. Of residents asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 85% answered “always” and 15% “never”; none answered “most of the time” or “some of the time”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 85% of residents surveyed at mecwacare O'Mara House answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does mecwacare O'Mara House provide?
mecwacare O'Mara House reported 205 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 204 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
mecwacare O'Mara House met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 205 to 217.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 146 minutes, followed by registered nurses (44 minutes) and enrolled nurses (14 minutes). mecwacare O'Mara House also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does mecwacare O'Mara House spend on resident care?
Total spending at mecwacare O'Mara House in the 2024–25 financial year was $421.04 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $259.29 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($55.61), accommodation and maintenance ($33.11), and cleaning and laundry ($30.93) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($148.85) and registered nurses ($70.77).
