Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for NewDirection Care at Bellmere is 3.82 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
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
How well the home is run is below the survey average
42% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.4% across other homes.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
46% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% 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 | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.36% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.84% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.28% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about NewDirection Care at Bellmere?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 42% of residents surveyed at NewDirection Care at Bellmere answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether the home is well run, below the 89.4% average across other homes by 47.4 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (50% against 81.8%) and whether staff know what they are doing (71% against 89.5%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
At NewDirection Care at Bellmere, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 9 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 17% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time”, 54% “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at NewDirection Care at Bellmere were asked whether they feel safe, 38% answered “always” and 54% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 25% answered “always” and 54% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at NewDirection Care at Bellmere?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 46% of residents surveyed at NewDirection Care at Bellmere said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 24.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 86% in 2024. Another 46% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at NewDirection Care at Bellmere in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, NewDirection Care at Bellmere reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
NewDirection Care at Bellmere 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”.
46% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does NewDirection Care at Bellmere provide?
In January to March 2026, NewDirection Care at Bellmere reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day, 10 minutes above its target of 212 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In two of the last four quarters, NewDirection Care at Bellmere met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 218 to 225 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 172 of the 222 minutes (77.5%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 20.7%) and enrolled nurses (4 minutes, 1.8%). NewDirection Care at Bellmere also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does NewDirection Care at Bellmere spend on resident care?
Total spending at NewDirection Care at Bellmere in the 2024–25 financial year was $442.40 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $282.78 was 7% above 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 accommodation and maintenance ($63.02), administration ($52.81), and cleaning and laundry ($19.32) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($153.49) and registered nurses ($53.72).
