Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Calvary Muswellbrook Retirement Community is 3.19 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two 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.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 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 | 3.19 | 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 | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Calvary Muswellbrook Retirement Community?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at Calvary Muswellbrook Retirement Community answered “always” or “most of the time”, 12.9 percentage points above the average of 87.1% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (93% against 80.2%) and whether the home is well run (100% against 88.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Calvary Muswellbrook 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, 86% of residents surveyed at Calvary Muswellbrook Retirement Community answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 50% answered “always” and 50% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Calvary Muswellbrook Retirement Community was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How much care and nursing does Calvary Muswellbrook Retirement Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Calvary Muswellbrook Retirement Community reported 216 minutes of care per resident per day, 2 minutes below its target of 218 minutes. Registered nurses provided 39 of those minutes, 5 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
Who provides that care?
Of the 216 minutes, personal care workers provided 177 (81.9%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 18.1%). In the same quarter, Calvary Muswellbrook Retirement Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Calvary Muswellbrook Retirement Community?
When residents surveyed at Calvary Muswellbrook Retirement Community for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 71% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 3.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. Another 29% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Calvary Muswellbrook Retirement Community in January to March 2026 was $19 per resident per day, 19% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.13 per resident per day, 54% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Calvary Muswellbrook 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”.
71% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
