Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Caloundra Place Care Community is 3.56 out of 5, compared with 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 is above average, with lower reported spending
84% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $11 vs a $16 sector median.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
84% positive in 2026, compared with 69% in 2025: 15 percentage points higher.
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: 200 vs 219 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 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 | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Caloundra Place Care Community provide?
Caloundra Place Care Community reported 200 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 19 minutes below its target of 219 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In none of the last four quarters did Caloundra Place Care Community meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 198 to 205.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 136 of the 200 minutes (68.0%), followed by registered nurses (40 minutes, 20.0%) and enrolled nurses (24 minutes, 12.0%). Caloundra Place Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Caloundra Place Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 69% of residents surveyed at Caloundra Place Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether the home is well run, below the 88.1% average across other homes by 19.1 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (77% against 84.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (85% against 89.1%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. Altogether, answers on 2 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. Of residents asked whether the home is well run, 31% answered “always”, 38% “most of the time”, 23% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 62% of residents surveyed at Caloundra Place Care Community answered “always” and 31% “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 Place Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 84% of residents surveyed at Caloundra Place Care Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 16.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 69% in 2025. Another 15% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Caloundra Place Care Community spent $11 per resident per day on food, 31% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.68 per resident per day, 143% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Caloundra Place Care Community, 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”.
84% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Caloundra Place Care Community spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Caloundra Place Care Community spent $431.19 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $261.85 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($60.34), administration ($33.67), and cleaning and laundry ($30.47) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($135.37) and registered nurses ($62.45).
