Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Aldinga Beach Care Community is 2.86 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
65% positive in 2025, compared with 53% in 2024: 12 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
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 207 vs 222 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 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.
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 | 3.19 | 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 | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 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 | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Aldinga Beach Care Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Aldinga Beach Care Community reported 207 minutes of care per resident per day, 15 minutes below its target of 222 minutes. Of those minutes, 39 came from registered nurses, 6 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
Aldinga Beach Care Community met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 207 to 221 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 145 minutes, followed by registered nurses (39 minutes) and enrolled nurses (24 minutes). In the same quarter, Aldinga Beach Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Aldinga Beach Care Community?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 78% of residents surveyed at Aldinga Beach Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 10.6 percentage points below the average of 88.6% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (74% against 81.8%) and whether they feel safe (91% against 96.5%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 95% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 85.2%.
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, 30% answered “always”, 48% “most of the time”, 13% “some of the time” and 9% “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 48% of residents surveyed at Aldinga Beach Care Community answered “always” and 43% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Aldinga Beach Care Community?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Aldinga Beach Care Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 53% in 2024. Another 30% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
Food spending at Aldinga Beach Care Community in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.21 per resident per day, 25% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Aldinga Beach Care Community 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”.
65% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Aldinga Beach Care Community spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Aldinga Beach Care Community spent $442.56 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $267.68 was 1% above 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 accommodation and maintenance ($64.68), cleaning and laundry ($31.31) and administration ($29.28) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($145.88) and registered nurses ($57.11).
