Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Calvary St Paul's Retirement Community is 3.08 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staff communication is a relative strength
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Residents report stronger support for independence
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% 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.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
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: 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 | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.28% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Calvary St Paul's Retirement Community?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 67% of residents surveyed at Calvary St Paul's Retirement Community answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 18.2 percentage points below the average of 85.2% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (83% against 96.0%) and whether they get the care they need (83% against 94.5%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%. In all, 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 how the home records and follows up concerns. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 25% answered “always”, 42% “most of the time” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 83% of residents surveyed at Calvary St Paul's Retirement Community answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Calvary St Paul's Retirement Community?
When residents surveyed at Calvary St Paul's Retirement Community for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 50% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 20.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. Another 50% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Calvary St Paul's Retirement Community spent $16 per resident per day on food, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.23 per resident per day, 18% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Calvary St Paul's Retirement Community reports that 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”.
50% 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 St Paul's Retirement Community provide?
Calvary St Paul's Retirement Community reported 209 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute below its target of 210 minutes. Registered nurses provided 42 of those minutes, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 159 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (42 minutes) and enrolled nurses (7 minutes). Calvary St Paul's Retirement Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
