Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Anglicare Mildred Symons House is 4.23 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 226 minutes against a 225-minute daily care target; RN time is 46 against 45.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
59% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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: 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Anglicare Mildred Symons House?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Anglicare Mildred Symons House answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, above the 87.1% average across other homes by 12.9 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 80.2%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 84% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.1%. 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 the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 38% answered “always”, 46% “most of the time” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 88% of residents surveyed at Anglicare Mildred Symons House answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 63% answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Anglicare Mildred Symons House?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 59% of residents surveyed at Anglicare Mildred Symons House said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 8.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share was also 59% in 2025. Another 42% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Anglicare Mildred Symons House spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Anglicare Mildred Symons House reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Anglicare Mildred Symons House, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. Of all meals, 68% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
59% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Anglicare Mildred Symons House provide?
Anglicare Mildred Symons House reported 226 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 225 minutes. Registered nurses provided 46 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Anglicare Mildred Symons House met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 226 to 233.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 181 minutes, followed by registered nurses (46 minutes). In the same quarter, Anglicare Mildred Symons House also reported spending on physiotherapists and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Anglicare Mildred Symons House spend on resident care?
Total spending at Anglicare Mildred Symons House in the 2024–25 financial year was $428.57 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.0% of it. Care and nursing spending of $265.81 was in line with 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($72.26), accommodation and maintenance ($36.29), and cleaning and laundry ($19.73) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($172.59) and registered nurses ($63.72).
