Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre is 3.3 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
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
73% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
97% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 217 vs 206 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 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: 2026 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 2026 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.44% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre provide?
Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre reported 217 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 11 minutes above its target of 206 minutes. Registered nurses provided 39 of those minutes, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 42.
In none of the last four quarters did Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 214 to 220 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 166 minutes, followed by registered nurses (39 minutes) and enrolled nurses (11 minutes). Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 69% of residents surveyed at Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, below the 84.2% average across other homes by 15.2 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they get the care they need (81% against 94.4%) and whether staff are kind and caring (85% against 95.4%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 97% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 92.7%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 31% answered “always”, 38% “most of the time” and 31% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 58% of residents surveyed at Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre answered “always” and 35% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre?
When residents surveyed at Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 73% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 5.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 72% in 2025. Another 27% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre 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 $0.02 per resident per day, 93% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre 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”.
73% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Amaroo Village Buckley Caring Centre spent $391.80 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $257.88 was 3% 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 ($44.40), cleaning and laundry ($25.96), and accommodation and maintenance ($20.88) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($156.58) and registered nurses ($55.58).
