Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Buckland is 4.3 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 224 minutes against a 223-minute daily care target; RN time is 48 against 45.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
68% positive in 2025, compared with 53% in 2024: 15 percentage points higher.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
90% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% 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 | 2365 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2395 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.06 | 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 | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Buckland?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 93% of residents surveyed at Buckland answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, 11.2 percentage points above the average of 81.8% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (100% against 96.0%) and whether they feel safe (100% against 96.4%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%. 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 the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 52% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Buckland were asked whether they get the care they need, 59% answered “always” and 34% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Buckland?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 68% of residents surveyed at Buckland said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 15 percentage points higher than the 53% recorded in 2024. Another 24% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Buckland spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.36 per resident per day, 29% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Buckland, 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”.
68% 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 Buckland provide?
Buckland reported 224 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 223 minutes. Of those minutes, 48 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In each of the last four quarters, Buckland met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 221 to 231 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 171 minutes, followed by registered nurses (48 minutes) and enrolled nurses (6 minutes). In the same quarter, Buckland also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Buckland spend on resident care?
Total spending at Buckland in the 2024–25 financial year was $398.84 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $262.68 was 1% 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 ($38.82), cleaning and laundry ($33.87), and accommodation and maintenance ($22.33) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($155.82) and registered nurses ($52.69).
