Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Arcare Taigum 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 consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 214 vs 214 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
84% positive in 2025, compared with 100% in 2024: 16 percentage points lower.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
79% 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 | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Arcare Taigum?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 84% of residents surveyed at Arcare Taigum said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 13.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 100% in 2024. Another 16% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Arcare Taigum 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 $0.23 per resident per day, 18% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Arcare Taigum, 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”.
84% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Arcare Taigum spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Arcare Taigum in the 2024–25 financial year was $235.37 per resident per day, 11% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $390.06 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?
Other categories included administration ($54.14), accommodation and maintenance ($30.66), and cleaning and laundry ($28.25) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($128.76) and registered nurses ($51.85).
What do residents say about Arcare Taigum?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they have a say in their daily activities, 100% of residents surveyed at Arcare Taigum answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 93.2% average across other homes by 6.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (95% against 89.3%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 79% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 85.2%.
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, 26% answered “always”, 53% “most of the time” and 21% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 68% of residents surveyed at Arcare Taigum answered “always” and 32% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Arcare Taigum provide?
Arcare Taigum reported 214 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, matching its target of 214 minutes. Registered nurses provided 39 of those minutes, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Arcare Taigum met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 207 to 214.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 161 of the 214 minutes (75.2%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 18.2%) and enrolled nurses (14 minutes, 6.5%). In the same quarter, Arcare Taigum also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
