Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Baptistcare Balladong Gardens is 3.52 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
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
66% positive in 2026, compared with 83% in 2025: 17 percentage points lower.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 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 | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How does Baptistcare Balladong Gardens spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Baptistcare Balladong Gardens in the 2024–25 financial year was $314.38 per resident per day, 19% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $514.85 per resident per day. 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 ($82.17), accommodation and maintenance ($46.35), and cleaning and laundry ($27.21) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($160.01) and registered nurses ($114.44).
How much care and nursing does Baptistcare Balladong Gardens provide?
In January to March 2026, Baptistcare Balladong Gardens reported 233 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes above its target of 228 minutes. Of those minutes, 63 came from registered nurses, 18 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Baptistcare Balladong Gardens met both its total and registered-nurse targets in two of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 221 to 233 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 170 of the 233 minutes (73.0%), followed by registered nurses (63 minutes, 27.0%). Baptistcare Balladong Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Baptistcare Balladong Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Baptistcare Balladong Gardens for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.9 percentage points above the average of 89.1% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.2%. 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?
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, 42% answered “always”, 33% “most of the time” and 25% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 92% of residents surveyed at Baptistcare Balladong Gardens answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Baptistcare Balladong Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Baptistcare Balladong Gardens for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 66% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 17 percentage points lower than the 83% recorded in 2025. Another 33% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Baptistcare Balladong Gardens spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Baptistcare Balladong Gardens reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Baptistcare Balladong Gardens, 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”.
66% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
