Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Arcare Seven Hills is 3.93 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
77% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staff communication is a relative strength
86% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 212 vs 211 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
81% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
86% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How does Arcare Seven Hills spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Arcare Seven Hills in the 2024–25 financial year was $235.39 per resident per day, 11% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $395.48 per resident per day. 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 ($50.56), accommodation and maintenance ($40.89), and cleaning and laundry ($26.85) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($124.71) and registered nurses ($55.12).
What is the food like at Arcare Seven Hills?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 77% of residents surveyed at Arcare Seven Hills said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 9.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 76% in 2025. Another 18% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Food spending at Arcare Seven Hills in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.17 per resident per day, 39% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Arcare Seven Hills 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”.
77% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Arcare Seven Hills?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 81% of residents surveyed at Arcare Seven Hills answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 89.1% average across other homes by 8.1 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (86% against 92.7%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 86% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 45% answered “always”, 36% “most of the time” and 18% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 82% of residents surveyed at Arcare Seven Hills answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 73% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Arcare Seven Hills provide?
Arcare Seven Hills reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 211 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Arcare Seven Hills met both its total and registered-nurse targets in two of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 210 to 216 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 212 minutes, personal care workers provided 158 (74.5%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 19.3%) and enrolled nurses (13 minutes, 6.1%). In the same quarter, Arcare Seven Hills also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
