Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Ozcare Mackay is 3.41 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
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
73% positive in 2025, compared with 54% in 2024: 19 percentage points higher.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 207 vs 215 minutes; registered nurses: 53 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 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: 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 | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Ozcare Mackay provide?
Ozcare Mackay reported 207 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 8 minutes below its target of 215 minutes. Of those minutes, 53 came from registered nurses, 10 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In none of the last four quarters did Ozcare Mackay meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 200 to 208 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 153 minutes, followed by registered nurses (53 minutes). Ozcare Mackay 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 Mackay?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 73% of residents surveyed at Ozcare Mackay said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 19 percentage points higher than the 54% recorded in 2024. Another 23% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Ozcare Mackay spent $22 per resident per day on food, 38% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.14 per resident per day, 50% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Ozcare Mackay, 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”.
73% 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 Mackay?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 82% of residents surveyed at Ozcare Mackay answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 89.5% average across other homes by 7.5 percentage points. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (82% against 89.3%) and whether staff treat them with respect (91% against 95.9%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 95% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 85.2%. 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?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 41% answered “always”, 41% “most of the time” and 18% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Ozcare Mackay were asked whether they feel safe, 77% answered “always” and 18% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 68% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
How does Ozcare Mackay spend on resident care?
Total spending at Ozcare Mackay in the 2024–25 financial year was $454.66 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $266.49 was 1% 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($62.45), administration ($43.71), and cleaning and laundry ($34.80) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($146.07) and registered nurses ($81.46).
