Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Canberra Nursing Home is 3.75 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 240 minutes against a 236-minute daily care target; RN time is 50 against 47.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
38% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.4% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
38% positive in 2026, compared with 77% in 2025: 39 percentage points lower.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% across other homes.
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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.27% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.37% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Canberra Nursing Home?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 77% of residents surveyed at Canberra Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they feel safe, 19.3 percentage points below the average of 96.3% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (77% against 89.1%) and whether they get the care they need (84% against 94.4%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 84.2%. Altogether, answers on 3 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?
On a visit, you can ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. When residents were asked whether they feel safe, 54% answered “always”, 23% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Canberra Nursing Home, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 92% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities and 84% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
What is the food like at Canberra Nursing Home?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 38% of residents surveyed at Canberra Nursing Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 29.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 77% in 2025. Another 31% answered “some of the time” and 31% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Canberra Nursing Home spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.24 per resident per day, 14% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Canberra Nursing Home, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
38% 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 Canberra Nursing Home provide?
Canberra Nursing Home reported 240 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 4 minutes above its target of 236 minutes. Registered nurses provided 50 of those minutes, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 47.
Canberra Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 240 to 246 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 240 minutes, personal care workers provided 190 (79.2%), followed by registered nurses (50 minutes, 20.8%). In the same quarter, Canberra Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Canberra Nursing Home spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Canberra Nursing Home in the 2024–25 financial year was $299.91 per resident per day, 13% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $443.79 per resident per day. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included cleaning and laundry ($34.70), accommodation and maintenance ($34.18) and administration ($33.44) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($172.46) and registered nurses ($71.17).
