Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Wesley Heights Manly is 4.08 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
85% enjoy meals vs 70.2% across other homes; spending is $12 vs a $16 sector median.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 216 minutes against a 213-minute daily care target; RN time is 45 against 43.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
How well the home is run is below the survey average
80% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
90% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% 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: 2025 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 2025 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 | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Uniting Wesley Heights Manly?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 85% of residents surveyed at Uniting Wesley Heights Manly said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 14.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share fell from 93% in 2024. Another 15% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Uniting Wesley Heights Manly in January to March 2026 was $12 per resident per day, 25% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.03 per resident per day, 89% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Uniting Wesley Heights Manly 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”.
85% 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 Wesley Heights Manly?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Wesley Heights Manly for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 93.2% average across other homes by 6.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (95% against 88.6%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 80% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.3%. Altogether, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 65% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time”, 15% “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 85% of residents surveyed at Uniting Wesley Heights Manly answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Uniting Wesley Heights Manly provide?
In January to March 2026, Uniting Wesley Heights Manly reported 216 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Registered nurses provided 45 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Uniting Wesley Heights Manly met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 214 to 216.
Who provides that care?
Of the 216 minutes, personal care workers provided 171 (79.2%), followed by registered nurses (45 minutes, 20.8%). In the same quarter, Uniting Wesley Heights Manly also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Uniting Wesley Heights Manly spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Uniting Wesley Heights Manly spent $394.94 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $243.44 was 8% below 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 ($52.38), accommodation and maintenance ($38.36), and cleaning and laundry ($19.80) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($151.56) and registered nurses ($61.90).
