Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Benetas Dalkeith Gardens is 3.49 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 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Staff communication is a relative strength
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$12 a day vs a $16 sector median; 39% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 182 vs 210 minutes; registered nurses: 34 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 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 | 3.19 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 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 | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.24% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Benetas Dalkeith Gardens provide?
In January to March 2026, Benetas Dalkeith Gardens reported 182 minutes of care per resident per day, 28 minutes below its target of 210 minutes. Registered nurses provided 34 of those minutes, 8 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 42.
In none of the last four quarters did Benetas Dalkeith Gardens meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 182 to 222 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 182 minutes, personal care workers provided 135 (74.2%), followed by registered nurses (34 minutes, 18.7%) and enrolled nurses (13 minutes, 7.1%). Benetas Dalkeith Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Benetas Dalkeith Gardens?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Benetas Dalkeith Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, above the 84.2% average across other homes by 15.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (95% against 80.2%) and whether the home is well run (100% against 88.1%).
At Benetas Dalkeith Gardens, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Benetas Dalkeith Gardens were asked whether they feel safe, 100% answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 94% answered “always” and 6% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Benetas Dalkeith Gardens, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities and 94% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
What is the food like at Benetas Dalkeith Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Benetas Dalkeith Gardens for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 39% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 28.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 88% in 2025. Another 56% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Food spending at Benetas Dalkeith Gardens in January to March 2026 was $12 per resident per day, 25% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.36 per resident per day, 29% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Benetas Dalkeith 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”.
39% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Benetas Dalkeith Gardens spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Benetas Dalkeith Gardens spent $429.31 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $258.02 was 3% 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?
Other categories included administration ($57.76), accommodation and maintenance ($47.26), and cleaning and laundry ($29) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($141.57) and registered nurses ($58.21).
