Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Ozcare - Hervey Bay is 3.56 out of 5, compared with 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’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
90% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 188 vs 205 minutes; registered nurses: 43 vs 42 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Ozcare - Hervey Bay provide?
Ozcare - Hervey Bay reported 188 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 17 minutes below its target of 205 minutes. Registered nurses provided 43 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Ozcare - Hervey Bay 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 185 to 192.
Who provides that care?
Of the 188 minutes, personal care workers provided 145 (77.1%), followed by registered nurses (43 minutes, 22.9%). Ozcare - Hervey Bay also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Ozcare - Hervey Bay?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 66% of residents surveyed at Ozcare - Hervey Bay said they like the food “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 34% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Ozcare - Hervey Bay in January to March 2026 was $21 per resident per day, 31% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.23 per resident per day, 18% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Ozcare - Hervey Bay 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”.
66% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Ozcare - Hervey Bay?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Ozcare - Hervey Bay answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 12.9 percentage points above the average of 87.1% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (90% against 84.2%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Ozcare - Hervey Bay, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on 6 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Ozcare - Hervey Bay were asked whether they feel safe, 83% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Ozcare - Hervey Bay, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 97% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How does Ozcare - Hervey Bay spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Ozcare - Hervey Bay spent $410.31 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $261.58 was 1% 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 ($40.64), cleaning and laundry ($37.12), and accommodation and maintenance ($34.08) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($161.90) and registered nurses ($65.97).
