Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Aegis Alfred Carson is 3.6 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 218 minutes against a 209-minute daily care target; RN time is 44 against 42.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
78% positive in 2025, compared with 60% in 2024: 18 percentage points higher.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
89% 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 | 89.33% | 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 | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Aegis Alfred Carson provide?
In January to March 2026, Aegis Alfred Carson reported 218 minutes of care per resident per day, 9 minutes above its target of 209 minutes. Of those minutes, 44 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
In each of the last four quarters, Aegis Alfred Carson met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 215 to 220.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 175 minutes, followed by registered nurses (44 minutes). Aegis Alfred Carson also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Aegis Alfred Carson spend on resident care?
Total spending at Aegis Alfred Carson in the 2024–25 financial year was $434.20 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 55.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $242.61 was 8% 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 accommodation and maintenance ($82.22), administration ($33.54), and cleaning and laundry ($28.17) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($137.36) and registered nurses ($59.20).
What do residents say about Aegis Alfred Carson?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 95% of residents surveyed at Aegis Alfred Carson answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, above the 85.2% average across other homes by 9.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.9%) and whether they feel safe (100% against 96.4%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 84% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.3%. Altogether, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. Of residents asked whether the home is well run, 28% answered “always”, 56% “most of the time” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Aegis Alfred Carson were asked whether they get the care they need, 50% answered “always” and 44% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Aegis Alfred Carson?
When residents surveyed at Aegis Alfred Carson for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 78% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 7.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 60% in 2024. Another 22% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Aegis Alfred Carson in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.22 per resident per day, 21% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Aegis Alfred Carson, 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”.
78% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
