Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Benevolent Living is 3.71 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 improved in the latest survey
74% positive in 2026, compared with 63% in 2025: 11 percentage points higher.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
97% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 203 vs 212 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
89% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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 | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Benevolent Living provide?
In January to March 2026, Benevolent Living reported 203 minutes of care per resident per day, 9 minutes below its target of 212 minutes. Registered nurses provided 39 of those minutes, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Benevolent Living met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 198 to 211 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 203 minutes, personal care workers provided 158 (77.8%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 19.2%) and enrolled nurses (6 minutes, 3.0%). Benevolent Living also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Benevolent Living?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 97% of residents surveyed at Benevolent Living answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 12.8 percentage points above the average of 84.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 80.2%) and whether the home is well run (96% against 88.1%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring: 89% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%. In all, 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff get to know each resident. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring, 78% answered “always”, 11% “most of the time” and 11% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Benevolent Living were asked whether they feel safe, 85% answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 78% answered “always” and 19% “most of the time”.
How does Benevolent Living spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Benevolent Living spent $230.87 per resident per day on care and nursing, 13% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $425.69 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 ($70.04), accommodation and maintenance ($45.01), and cleaning and laundry ($30.15) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($140.74) and registered nurses ($59.08).
What is the food like at Benevolent Living?
When residents surveyed at Benevolent Living for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 74% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 63% in 2025. Another 22% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Benevolent Living spent $16 per resident per day on food, in line with the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.22 per resident per day, 21% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Benevolent Living 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”.
74% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
