Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The residents’ experience rating for Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility is 4 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.62. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
81% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
89% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% 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 | 2366 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2396 |
| 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 | 89.33% | 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 | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility?
When residents surveyed at Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 81% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 89.5% average across other homes by 8.5 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they feel safe (89% against 96.5%) and whether the home is well run (85% against 89.3%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. Altogether, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 46% answered “always”, 35% “most of the time” and 19% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 65% of residents surveyed at Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 77% of residents surveyed at Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. Another 23% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility 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”.
77% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility provide?
Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 221 minutes. Of those minutes, 43 came from registered nurses, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 44.
Who provides that care?
Of the 222 minutes, personal care workers provided 175 (78.8%), followed by registered nurses (43 minutes, 19.4%) and enrolled nurses (4 minutes, 1.8%). In the same quarter, Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
