Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Wheller Gardens - St Marks House is 3.7 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
77% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 227 minutes against a 224-minute daily care target; RN time is 50 against 45.
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.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.21% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Wheller Gardens - St Marks House?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 100% of residents surveyed at Wheller Gardens - St Marks House answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 18.2 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 88.6%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. Of residents asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 62% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time” and 23% “never”; none answered “some of the time”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 85% of residents surveyed at Wheller Gardens - St Marks House answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Wheller Gardens - St Marks House provide?
In January to March 2026, Wheller Gardens - St Marks House reported 227 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes above its target of 224 minutes. Registered nurses provided 50 of those minutes, 5 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In each of the last four quarters, Wheller Gardens - St Marks House met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 227 to 241.
Who provides that care?
Of the 227 minutes, personal care workers provided 177 (78.0%), followed by registered nurses (50 minutes, 22.0%). Wheller Gardens - St Marks House also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Wheller Gardens - St Marks House?
When residents surveyed at Wheller Gardens - St Marks House for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. Another 23% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Wheller Gardens - St Marks House 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 $0.18 per resident per day, 36% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Wheller Gardens - St Marks House, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 30% are prepared on site and the rest off 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.
