Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for mecwacare Park Hill is 3.6 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% 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.
Residents report stronger support for independence
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 215 vs 208 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
71% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% 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 | 3.07 | 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 | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does mecwacare Park Hill provide?
mecwacare Park Hill reported 215 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 7 minutes above its target of 208 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 42.
mecwacare Park Hill met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 202 to 218.
Who provides that care?
Of the 215 minutes, personal care workers provided 166 (77.2%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 19.1%) and enrolled nurses (8 minutes, 3.7%). mecwacare Park Hill also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about mecwacare Park Hill?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at mecwacare Park Hill answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, above the 93.2% average across other homes by 6.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (93% against 88.6%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.9%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 71% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 85.2%. In all, answers on 3 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 the home records and follows up concerns. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 7% answered “always”, 64% “most of the time” and 29% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at mecwacare Park Hill were asked whether they feel safe, 86% answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 57% answered “always” and 36% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at mecwacare Park Hill?
When residents surveyed at mecwacare Park Hill for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 57% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 13.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 58% in 2024. Another 36% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Food spending at mecwacare Park Hill in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.42 per resident per day, 50% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
mecwacare Park Hill 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”.
57% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does mecwacare Park Hill spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, mecwacare Park Hill spent $377.56 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $244.35 was 8% 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 ($39.95), accommodation and maintenance ($29.30), and cleaning and laundry ($25.26) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($150.23) and registered nurses ($61.68).
