Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Mercy Place Mont Clare is 3.08 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 226 vs 208 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Support for independence is below the survey average
58% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
57% 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 | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.22% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Mercy Place Mont Clare?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 58% of residents surveyed at Mercy Place Mont Clare answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, below the 88.6% average across other homes by 30.6 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (57% against 85.2%) and whether the home is well run (72% against 89.3%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 29% answered “always”, 29% “most of the time” and 43% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Mercy Place Mont Clare were asked whether they feel safe, 79% answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 36% answered “always” and 43% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Mercy Place Mont Clare provide?
In January to March 2026, Mercy Place Mont Clare reported 226 minutes of care per resident per day, 18 minutes above its target of 208 minutes. Registered nurses provided 40 of those minutes, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 42.
Mercy Place Mont Clare met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 197 to 226 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 186 of the 226 minutes (82.3%), followed by registered nurses (40 minutes, 17.7%). In the same quarter, Mercy Place Mont Clare also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Mercy Place Mont Clare spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Mercy Place Mont Clare spent $216.14 per resident per day on care and nursing, 18% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $433.89 per resident per day. 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 accommodation and maintenance ($100.73), administration ($49.73), and cleaning and laundry ($24.42) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($143.38) and registered nurses ($51.03).
What is the food like at Mercy Place Mont Clare?
When residents surveyed at Mercy Place Mont Clare 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 rose from 50% in 2024. Another 36% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Food spending at Mercy Place Mont Clare in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.73 per resident per day, 161% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Mercy Place Mont Clare, 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.
