Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Arcare Surrey Hills is 4.08 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
77% positive in 2026, compared with 31% in 2025: 46 percentage points higher.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 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
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 212 vs 210 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Support for independence is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% 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: 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 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 |
What is the food like at Arcare Surrey Hills?
When residents surveyed at Arcare Surrey Hills for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 9.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 31% in 2025. Another 23% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Arcare Surrey Hills in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.05 per resident per day, 82% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Arcare Surrey 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 Surrey Hills?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether the home is well run, 100% of residents surveyed at Arcare Surrey Hills answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 88.1% average across other homes by 11.9 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.1%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 84.2%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.2%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can 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, 69% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 85% of residents surveyed at Arcare Surrey Hills answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 77% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
How does Arcare Surrey Hills spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Arcare Surrey Hills spent $427.66 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 57.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $246.51 was 7% 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($60.02), accommodation and maintenance ($43.26), and cleaning and laundry ($30.11) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($124.83) and registered nurses ($62.07).
How much care and nursing does Arcare Surrey Hills provide?
In January to March 2026, Arcare Surrey Hills reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day, 2 minutes above its target of 210 minutes. Registered nurses provided 40 of those minutes, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
In none of the last four quarters did Arcare Surrey Hills meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 207 to 212 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 212 minutes, personal care workers provided 156 (73.6%), followed by registered nurses (40 minutes, 18.9%) and enrolled nurses (16 minutes, 7.5%). In the same quarter, Arcare Surrey Hills also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
