Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Berengarra is 4.37 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 234 minutes against a 219-minute daily care target; RN time is 88 against 44.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
73% positive in 2026, compared with 50% in 2025: 23 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Respectful treatment 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 | 96.25% | 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 | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Berengarra provide?
In January to March 2026, Berengarra reported 234 minutes of care per resident per day, 15 minutes above its target of 219 minutes. Of those minutes, 88 came from registered nurses, 44 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In each of the last four quarters, Berengarra met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 232 to 236.
Who provides that care?
Enrolled nurses provided 130 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (88 minutes) and personal care workers (17 minutes). In the same quarter, Berengarra also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Berengarra spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Berengarra spent $334.64 per resident per day on care and nursing, 26% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $580.41 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($85.51), cleaning and laundry ($82.71), and accommodation and maintenance ($41.32) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to enrolled nurses ($143.05) and registered nurses ($135.93).
What do residents say about Berengarra?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 95% of residents surveyed at Berengarra answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, above the 80.2% average across other homes by 14.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 88.1%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (95% against 84.2%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 89% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff are expected to treat residents. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect, 72% answered “always”, 17% “most of the time” and 11% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 83% of residents surveyed at Berengarra answered “always” and 11% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 83% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Berengarra?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 73% of residents surveyed at Berengarra said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 50% in 2025. Another 28% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Berengarra spent $20 per resident per day on food, 25% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $2.17 per resident per day, 675% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Berengarra reports that breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 56% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
73% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
