Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park is 4.07 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 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
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
72% positive in 2026, compared with 91% in 2025: 19 percentage points lower.
Support for independence is below the survey average
82% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% 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: 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 | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park provide?
Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park reported 217 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 11 minutes above its target of 206 minutes. Registered nurses provided 43 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 42.
In one of the last four quarters, Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 199 to 217 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 217 minutes, personal care workers provided 156 (71.9%), followed by registered nurses (43 minutes, 19.8%) and enrolled nurses (18 minutes, 8.3%). Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park spent $229.74 per resident per day on care and nursing, 13% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $445.36 per resident per day. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($100.12), accommodation and maintenance ($54.92), and cleaning and laundry ($21.26) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($127.83) and registered nurses ($48.41).
What is the food like at Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 72% of residents surveyed at Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 91% in 2025. Another 23% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Food spending at Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park in January to March 2026 was $19 per resident per day, 19% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.42 per resident per day, 50% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park, 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”.
72% 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 Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park?
When residents surveyed at Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 92.7% average across other homes by 7.3 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (95% against 89.1%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.4%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 82% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.2%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 55% answered “always”, 27% “most of the time”, 14% “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Palm Lake Care Mt Warren Park were asked whether they feel safe, 91% answered “always” and 9% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 64% answered “always” and 32% “most of the time”.
