Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for North Lakes Terrace Care Community is 3.38 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Respectful treatment is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 208 vs 223 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
71% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.73% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does North Lakes Terrace Care Community provide?
North Lakes Terrace Care Community reported 208 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 15 minutes below its target of 223 minutes. Registered nurses provided 40 of those minutes, 5 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
North Lakes Terrace Care Community 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 208 to 228.
Who provides that care?
Of the 208 minutes, personal care workers provided 162 (77.9%), followed by registered nurses (40 minutes, 19.2%) and enrolled nurses (6 minutes, 2.9%). In the same quarter, North Lakes Terrace Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about North Lakes Terrace Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 71% of residents surveyed at North Lakes Terrace Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, below the 92.7% average across other homes by 21.7 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (68% against 84.2%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (75% against 87.2%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%. Altogether, answers on 2 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?
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, 57% answered “always”, 14% “most of the time”, 25% “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at North Lakes Terrace Care Community 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 North Lakes Terrace Care Community?
When residents surveyed at North Lakes Terrace Care Community for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 68% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share fell from 72% in 2025. Another 25% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Food spending at North Lakes Terrace Care Community in January to March 2026 was $12 per resident per day, 25% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.26 per resident per day, 7% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to North Lakes Terrace Care Community, 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”.
68% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does North Lakes Terrace Care Community spend on resident care?
Total spending at North Lakes Terrace Care Community in the 2024–25 financial year was $402.20 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $263.17 was 1% 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 accommodation and maintenance ($49.14), cleaning and laundry ($24.48) and administration ($24.30) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($162.97) and registered nurses ($55.46).
