Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bupa Caulfield is 3.19 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
78% positive in 2026, compared with 68% in 2025: 10 percentage points higher.
Staff communication is a relative strength
96% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.2% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 220 vs 226 minutes; registered nurses: 44 vs 45 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.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 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 Bupa Caulfield provide?
In January to March 2026, Bupa Caulfield reported 220 minutes of care per resident per day, 6 minutes below its target of 226 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 45.
Bupa Caulfield met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 201 to 220.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 177 minutes, followed by registered nurses (44 minutes). Bupa Caulfield also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Bupa Caulfield?
When residents surveyed at Bupa Caulfield for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 96% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 80.2% average across other homes by 15.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (95% against 87.1%) and whether staff know what they are doing (96% against 89.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 91% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff are expected to treat residents. Of residents asked whether staff treat them with respect, 74% answered “always”, 17% “most of the time” and 9% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bupa Caulfield were asked whether they feel safe, 87% answered “always” and 9% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 74% answered “always” and 22% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bupa Caulfield?
When residents surveyed at Bupa Caulfield for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 78% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 68% in 2025. Another 17% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bupa Caulfield spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.25 per resident per day, 11% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bupa Caulfield, 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”.
78% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Bupa Caulfield spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bupa Caulfield spent $435.70 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $281.91 was 6% above the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($61.39), cleaning and laundry ($29.99), and accommodation and maintenance ($27.62) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($171.43) and registered nurses ($61.91).
