Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie is 3.89 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 226 minutes against a 209-minute daily care target; RN time is 48 against 42.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
90% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
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
70% 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie provide?
Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie reported 226 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 17 minutes above its target of 209 minutes. Of those minutes, 48 came from registered nurses, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 226 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 226 minutes, personal care workers provided 178 (78.8%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 21.2%). In the same quarter, Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie 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 was also 65% in 2025. Another 35% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie spent $19 per resident per day on food, 19% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.23 per resident per day, 18% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie, 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
What do residents say about Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 70% of residents surveyed at Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.3 percentage points below the average of 80.3% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (80% against 89.1%) and whether the home is well run (80% against 88.1%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 90% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 84.2%. 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 how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 40% answered “always”, 30% “most of the time” and 30% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie were asked whether they feel safe, 75% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always” and 20% “most of the time”.
How does Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie spend on resident care?
Total spending at Uniting Mingaletta Port Macquarie in the 2024–25 financial year was $422.25 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $269.36 was 2% 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 administration ($50.51), accommodation and maintenance ($38.82), and cleaning and laundry ($25.36) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($181.17) and registered nurses ($61.93).
