Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Mercy Place Albury 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 report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Staff communication is a relative strength
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 209 vs 204 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
55% positive in 2026, compared with 76% in 2025: 21 percentage points lower.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Mercy Place Albury?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 70% of residents surveyed at Mercy Place Albury answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, below the 84.2% average across other homes by 14.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (75% against 88.1%) and whether they get the care they need (85% against 94.4%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. Altogether, answers on 4 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 45% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time” and 30% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 85% of residents surveyed at Mercy Place Albury answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Mercy Place Albury provide?
Mercy Place Albury reported 209 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes above its target of 204 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 42.
Mercy Place Albury met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 209 to 218.
Who provides that care?
Of the 209 minutes, personal care workers provided 151 (72.2%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 19.6%) and enrolled nurses (17 minutes, 8.1%). In the same quarter, Mercy Place Albury also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Mercy Place Albury?
When residents surveyed at Mercy Place Albury for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 55% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 12.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 76% in 2025. Another 35% answered “some of the time” and 10% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Mercy Place Albury spent $19 per resident per day on food, 19% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.77 per resident per day, 175% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Mercy Place Albury, 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”.
55% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Mercy Place Albury spend on resident care?
Total spending at Mercy Place Albury in the 2024–25 financial year was $400.24 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $243.63 was 8% 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($55.59), accommodation and maintenance ($33.32), and cleaning and laundry ($29.75) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($135.99) and registered nurses ($69.11).
