Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Oaklea Hall is 3.56 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
Following up concerns is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 220 vs 224 minutes; registered nurses: 55 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.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 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 | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Oaklea Hall provide?
In January to March 2026, Oaklea Hall reported 220 minutes of care per resident per day, 4 minutes below its target of 224 minutes. Registered nurses provided 55 of those minutes, 10 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In none of the last four quarters did Oaklea Hall meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 206 to 220.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 151 minutes, followed by registered nurses (55 minutes) and enrolled nurses (15 minutes). Oaklea Hall also reported spending on physiotherapists and podiatrists in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Oaklea Hall?
When residents surveyed at Oaklea Hall for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 15.8 percentage points above the average of 84.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 88.1%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.1%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%. In all, answers on 2 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 staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 62% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Oaklea Hall were asked whether they feel safe, 85% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 77% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Oaklea Hall?
When residents surveyed at Oaklea Hall for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share rose from 62% in 2025. Another 15% answered “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Oaklea Hall spent $12 per resident per day on food, 25% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Oaklea Hall reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Oaklea Hall, 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”.
69% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Oaklea Hall spend on resident care?
Total spending at Oaklea Hall in the 2024–25 financial year was $408.37 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.0% of it. Care and nursing spending of $253.09 was 4% 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($51.87), administration ($50.74), and cleaning and laundry ($19.80) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($133.80) and registered nurses ($57.54).
