Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay is 3.93 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’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
97% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
96% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
43% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.4% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
43% positive in 2026, compared with 63% in 2025: 20 percentage points lower.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
75% 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 | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 43% of residents surveyed at Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 24.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 63% in 2025. Another 29% answered “some of the time” and 29% “never”.
Food spending at Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.11 per resident per day, 61% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau 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”.
43% 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 Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 97% of residents surveyed at Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay answered “always” or “most of the time”, 9.9 percentage points above the average of 87.1% across other homes. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (96% against 88.1%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%.
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, 36% answered “always”, 39% “most of the time”, 18% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay were asked whether they feel safe, 79% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay provide?
In January to March 2026, Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay reported 210 minutes of care per resident per day, 6 minutes above its target of 204 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
In three of the last four quarters, Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 203 to 215.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 165 minutes, followed by registered nurses (44 minutes). In the same quarter, Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay spend on resident care?
Total spending at Uniting Nareen Gardens Bateau Bay in the 2024–25 financial year was $394.20 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $250.05 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 ($58.89), accommodation and maintenance ($23.55), and cleaning and laundry ($19.95) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($152.92) and registered nurses ($60.47).
