Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility is 3.52 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Respectful treatment is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Support for independence is below the survey average
70% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
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 say staff explain things consistently
64% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% 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 | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 70% of residents surveyed at Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 88.6% average across other homes by 18.6 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (64% against 81.8%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (80% against 85.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.9%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 35% answered “always”, 35% “most of the time”, 24% “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility were asked whether they feel safe, 79% answered “always” and 18% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 59% answered “always” and 35% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility provide?
In January to March 2026, Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility reported 231 minutes of care per resident per day, 15 minutes above its target of 216 minutes. Registered nurses provided 43 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 43.
In two of the last four quarters, Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 230 to 245 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 184 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (43 minutes) and enrolled nurses (5 minutes). In the same quarter, Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility?
When residents surveyed at Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 53% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 17.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 47% in 2024. Another 44% answered “some of the time” and 3% “never”.
Food spending at Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.36 per resident per day, 29% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility 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”.
53% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility spend on resident care?
Total spending at Acacia Living Group Menora Gardens Aged Care Facility in the 2024–25 financial year was $407.31 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $254.13 was 4% 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 ($39.32), cleaning and laundry ($38.06), and accommodation and maintenance ($30.22) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($163.74) and registered nurses ($63.87).
