Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for PM Aged Care is 4.3 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 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
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
77% positive in 2026, compared with 92% in 2025: 15 percentage points lower.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
69% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about PM Aged Care?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 84% of residents surveyed at PM Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff are kind and caring, below the 95.4% average across other homes by 11.4 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (69% against 80.3%) and whether they get the care they need (84% against 94.4%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. Altogether, answers on 4 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff get to know each resident. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring, 69% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time” and 15% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 77% of residents surveyed at PM Aged Care answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
How does PM Aged Care spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, PM Aged Care spent $231.06 per resident per day on care and nursing, 13% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $382.82 per resident per day. These amounts 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 ($55.44), cleaning and laundry ($30.61) and administration ($21.67) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($128.78) and registered nurses ($58.44).
What is the food like at PM Aged Care?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 77% of residents surveyed at PM Aged Care said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 9.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 92% in 2025. Another 15% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at PM Aged Care in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.60 per resident per day, 114% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to PM Aged Care, 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”.
77% 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 PM Aged Care provide?
PM Aged Care reported 200 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 199 minutes. Registered nurses provided 50 of those minutes, 8 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
PM Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets in two of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 188 to 200.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 149 minutes, followed by registered nurses (50 minutes). In the same quarter, PM Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
