Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views is 2.93 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.5% across other homes.
Residents report stronger support for independence
94% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
How well the home is run is below the survey average
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
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: 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 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 Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they get the care they need, above the 94.5% average across other homes by 5.5 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (94% against 88.6%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.9%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.3%. Altogether, answers on 3 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 who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 27% answered “always”, 40% “most of the time” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views were asked whether they feel safe, 47% answered “always” and 53% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views?
When residents surveyed at Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 60% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. Another 33% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Food spending at Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.16 per resident per day, 43% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views, 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”.
60% 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 Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views provide?
Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views reported 217 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute below its target of 218 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 44.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 130 minutes, followed by registered nurses (44 minutes) and enrolled nurses (42 minutes). In the same quarter, Calvary Lower Plenty Garden Views also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
