Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village is 4.15 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 214 minutes against a 204-minute daily care target; RN time is 49 against 42.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 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 | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village provide?
Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village reported 214 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 10 minutes above its target of 204 minutes. Registered nurses provided 49 of those minutes, 7 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
In each of the last four quarters, Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 206 to 214.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 159 of the 214 minutes (74.3%), followed by registered nurses (49 minutes, 22.9%) and enrolled nurses (6 minutes, 2.8%). In the same quarter, Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village?
When residents surveyed at Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 89.1% average across other homes by 10.9 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (92% against 87.1%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.4%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 92.7%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 62% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village were asked whether they feel safe, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 69% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village?
When residents surveyed at Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 9.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share was also 77% in 2025. Another 23% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village, 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 does Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Caloundra Adventist Retirement Village spent $415.49 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $264.30 was in line with 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 accommodation and maintenance ($42.45), administration ($36.79), and cleaning and laundry ($24.47) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($144.68) and registered nurses ($71.05).
