Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Palm Lake Care Caloundra is 3.67 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
74% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% 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 | 96.25% | 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 | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Palm Lake Care Caloundra?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Palm Lake Care Caloundra 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 59% in 2025. Another 30% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Palm Lake Care Caloundra spent $22 per resident per day on food, 38% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.39 per resident per day, 39% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Palm Lake Care Caloundra 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”.
65% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Palm Lake Care Caloundra provide?
In January to March 2026, Palm Lake Care Caloundra reported 198 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes above its target of 193 minutes. Registered nurses provided 45 of those minutes, 5 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 40.
In three of the last four quarters, Palm Lake Care Caloundra met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 191 to 201 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 130 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (45 minutes) and enrolled nurses (24 minutes). In the same quarter, Palm Lake Care Caloundra also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Palm Lake Care Caloundra spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Palm Lake Care Caloundra spent $484.84 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 51.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $248.09 was 6% 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 administration ($93.27), accommodation and maintenance ($72.89), and cleaning and laundry ($26.31) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($128.75) and registered nurses ($61.22).
What do residents say about Palm Lake Care Caloundra?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 74% of residents surveyed at Palm Lake Care Caloundra answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.3 percentage points below the average of 80.3% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (87% against 92.7%) and whether the home is well run (83% against 88.1%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
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?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 57% answered “always”, 17% “most of the time” and 26% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 83% of residents surveyed at Palm Lake Care Caloundra answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 43% answered “always” and 52% “most of the time”.
