Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement Community is 3.26 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 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Staff communication is a relative strength
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
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.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.24% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.31% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement Community?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 100% of residents surveyed at Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement Community answered “always” or “most of the time”, 19.8 percentage points above the average of 80.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (100% against 84.2%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 87.1%).
At Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement Community, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 100% of residents surveyed at Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement Community answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 77% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement Community, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
What is the food like at Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 93% of residents surveyed at Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 25.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. Another 8% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement Community in January to March 2026 was $18 per resident per day, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.25 per resident per day, 11% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement 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”.
93% 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 Mt Carmel Retirement Community provide?
Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement Community reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 3 minutes below its target of 215 minutes. Registered nurses provided 43 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 43.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 168 minutes, followed by registered nurses (43 minutes). Calvary Mt Carmel Retirement Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
