Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay is 3.29 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 245 minutes against a 213-minute daily care target; RN time is 56 against 43.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
40% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Compliance rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
60% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% 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 | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.28% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay provide?
Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay reported 245 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 32 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Of those minutes, 56 came from registered nurses, 13 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 228 to 245 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 178 minutes, followed by registered nurses (56 minutes) and enrolled nurses (12 minutes). Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 60% of residents surveyed at Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, below the 85.2% average across other homes by 25.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (73% against 89.3%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (73% against 88.6%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 27% answered “always”, 33% “most of the time” and 40% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay were asked whether they get the care they need, 40% answered “always” and 47% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 40% of residents surveyed at Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 30.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 66% in 2024. Another 53% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay spent $24 per resident per day on food, 50% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.51 per resident per day, 82% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Palm Lake Aged Care Deception 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”.
40% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay spend on resident care?
Total spending at Palm Lake Aged Care Deception Bay in the 2024–25 financial year was $450.01 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 57.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $258.54 was 2% 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 administration ($73.89), accommodation and maintenance ($49.56), and cleaning and laundry ($23.84) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($147.64) and registered nurses ($63.66).
