Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for ACDMA Aged Care Services is 3.63 out of 5, compared with 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
75% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $12 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
81% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.0% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% 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 | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 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 | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at ACDMA Aged Care Services?
When residents surveyed at ACDMA Aged Care Services for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 69% in 2024. Another 25% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, ACDMA Aged Care Services spent $12 per resident per day on food, 25% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.20 per resident per day, 29% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
ACDMA Aged Care Services 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”.
75% 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 ACDMA Aged Care Services?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff are kind and caring, 81% of residents surveyed at ACDMA Aged Care Services answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 96.0% average across other homes by 15 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (75% against 85.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 100% 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 staff get to know each resident. Of residents asked whether staff are kind and caring, 50% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time” and 19% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 94% of residents surveyed at ACDMA Aged Care Services answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 69% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
How does ACDMA Aged Care Services spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, ACDMA Aged Care Services spent $417.35 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 57.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $239.36 was 10% below the sector median of $264.85. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($79.74), accommodation and maintenance ($40.34), and cleaning and laundry ($31.12) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($127.68) and registered nurses ($46.67).
How much care and nursing does ACDMA Aged Care Services provide?
In January to March 2026, ACDMA Aged Care Services reported 225 minutes of care per resident per day, 2 minutes above its target of 223 minutes. Registered nurses provided 48 of those minutes, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In two of the last four quarters, ACDMA Aged Care Services met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 217 to 235.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 178 minutes, followed by registered nurses (48 minutes). In the same quarter, ACDMA Aged Care Services also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
