Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged is 3.93 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
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.
Residents report stronger support for independence
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 213 vs 209 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
67% positive in 2025, compared with 80% in 2024: 13 percentage points lower.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
67% 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 | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 67% of residents surveyed at Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 18.2 percentage points below the average of 85.2% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (72% against 81.8%) and whether they get the care they need (86% against 94.5%).
The largest gap above other homes was 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%. Altogether, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
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, 43% answered “always”, 24% “most of the time” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged were asked whether they feel safe, 76% answered “always” and 19% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged?
When residents surveyed at Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 3.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 80% in 2024. Another 29% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Food spending at Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged in January to March 2026 was $19 per resident per day, 19% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.39 per resident per day, 39% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged 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”.
67% 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 SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged provide?
Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged reported 213 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 4 minutes above its target of 209 minutes. Registered nurses provided 40 of those minutes, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 42.
Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 209 to 213.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 157 of the 213 minutes (73.7%), followed by registered nurses (40 minutes, 18.8%) and enrolled nurses (16 minutes, 7.5%). Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Anglicare SQ Symes Grove Home for the Aged spent $426.48 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $250.63 was 5% below 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 administration ($66.05), accommodation and maintenance ($30.81), and cleaning and laundry ($22.58) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($150.64) and registered nurses ($61.75).
