Sunshine Coast’s highest and lowest rated aged care homes

It’s a vital service that many of us will need in the twilight years of ours or our loved ones’ lives. See the rankings of 44 Sunshine Coast and Noosa aged care homes.

Federal MP Anika Wells at Bowder Lodge in Nambour. Photos: Contributed

The highest and lowest rated aged care homes across the Sunshine Coast and Noosa have been revealed.

Data from the Federal Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has revealed ratings for 44 aged care homes across the Sunshine Coast and Noosa.

Facilities are given a rating of one to five stars – one star meaning significant improvement is needed and five stars meaning excellent quality of care.

The Blue Care Bli Bli Aged Care Facility was rated two stars in January 2023.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE HOW THE HOMES RATED

More than 40 aged care homes in the Sunshine Coast and Noosa have been ranked by the Federal Government. Picture: Istock.

A two-star rating means “improvement needed” according to the star categories.

A further breakdown of the rating showed the aged care facility scored three out of five stars for compliance and quality measures and two out of five for residents’ experience and staffing.

A Blue Care spokeswoman said Blue Care welcomed a simple and transparent way for consumers to compare aged care homes.

“Consumer feedback for Blue Care Bli Bli Aged Care Facility Star Ratings was collected in February 2023, with only 17% of residents surveyed, and who were satisfied with the care and services received,” she said.

“However, the facility did not perform as well in relation to staffing, acknowledging the impact of Covid-19 and staffing shortages on the aged care workforce as a whole and in many regional areas in particular.”

Aged care facilities are now given a rating of one to five stars – one star meaning significant improvement is needed and five stars meaning excellent quality of care. Picture: Istock.

The spokeswoman said the service had undertaken “significant improvements” and had obtained re-accreditation with all standards assessed as compliant following a recent visit from the Aged Care Quality Safety Commission.

“The service has a dedicated talent acquisition advisor and HR partner supporting the service to ensure its workforce is adequate and retained,” she said.

“The service has also employed team members from abroad in collaboration with the organisation’s partnership with HealthX providing expert and experienced staff members to meet the staffing requirements.”

The spokeswoman said one of the biggest challenges faced on the Sunshine Coast was the high cost of accommodation and also shortage of suitable accommodation for healthcare workers and their families.

The only five-star rated care facility of the 44 listed is the Bowder Care Centre.

This 32-bed low-care facility scored five stars in compliance, quality measures and staffing, with four stars awarded for residents’ experiences.

Sundale chief executive Helen Sharpley said the team had “always been proud” of the care they provided.

“Bowder Lodge surpassed the Australian Government’s Registered Nurse time targets by 44 per cent and nursing and personal care targets by 40 per cent,” she said.

The chief executive said Sundale was marking 60 years of operation later this year and although there were no vacancies available at the Bowder Lodge, there were rooms available at the nearby James Grimes Care Centre.

Federal MP Anika Wells at Bowder Lodge in Nambour. Photos: Contributed

National Seniors Australia chief advocate Ian Henschke said Australia had one of the highest rates of institutionalised aged care in the world; but the occupation rate for aged care homes had slightly decreased because more people were living at home for longer.

He said the most important thing when considering moving a loved one into an aged care facility was to discuss it with them first and ensure it is the right decision for them.

“It’s their life, you’ve got to think of it as a human rights issue,” he said.

There were no concerns of aged care homes running out of beds anytime soon, Mr Henschke said, but staffing shortages and workers demanding better pay was an issue.

Additionally, there needed to be an increase in minutes of care provided per day, he said.

STAR RATINGS GUIDE

1 star – significant improvement needed.

2 stars – improvement needed.

3 stars – an acceptable quality of care.

4 stars – a good quality of care.

5 stars – an excellent quality of care.