Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Walara Hamley Bridge is 3.68 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
53% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 214 vs 220 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Getting needed care is below the survey average
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.5% 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 | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.46% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.49% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.22% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Walara Hamley Bridge?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they have a say in their daily activities, 53% of residents surveyed at Walara Hamley Bridge answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 93.2% average across other homes by 40.2 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they get the care they need (69% against 94.5%) and whether they feel safe (77% against 96.5%).
On 9 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Walara Hamley Bridge were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 38% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time”, 15% “some of the time” and 31% “never”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Walara Hamley Bridge was 77% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
How much care and nursing does Walara Hamley Bridge provide?
Walara Hamley Bridge reported 214 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 6 minutes below its target of 220 minutes. Registered nurses provided 41 of those minutes, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
Walara Hamley Bridge met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 208 to 217 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 214 minutes, personal care workers provided 154 (72.0%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 19.2%) and enrolled nurses (19 minutes, 8.9%). In the same quarter, Walara Hamley Bridge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Walara Hamley Bridge?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 69% of residents surveyed at Walara Hamley Bridge said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. The share fell from 77% in 2024. Another 15% answered “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
Food spending at Walara Hamley Bridge in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $1.23 per resident per day, 339% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Walara Hamley Bridge, 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”.
69% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Walara Hamley Bridge spend on resident care?
Total spending at Walara Hamley Bridge in the 2024–25 financial year was $432.60 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $272.22 was 3% 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 ($49.27), accommodation and maintenance ($34.75), and cleaning and laundry ($24.94) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($144.53) and registered nurses ($57.11).
