Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Carinity Fairfield Grange is 3.6 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
66% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Support for independence is below the survey average
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
72% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% 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: 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 | 96.46% | 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 | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.21% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Carinity Fairfield Grange?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 66% of residents surveyed at Carinity Fairfield Grange answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, below the 93.2% average across other homes by 27.2 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (67% against 88.6%) and whether the home is well run (72% against 89.3%).
On 8 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Carinity Fairfield Grange were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 33% answered “always”, 33% “most of the time”, 28% “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Carinity Fairfield Grange were asked whether they feel safe, 67% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 33% answered “always” and 61% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Carinity Fairfield Grange provide?
Carinity Fairfield Grange reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 8 minutes above its target of 215 minutes. Registered nurses provided 43 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 43.
Carinity Fairfield Grange met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 219 to 229.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 175 of the 223 minutes (78.5%), followed by registered nurses (43 minutes, 19.3%) and enrolled nurses (5 minutes, 2.2%). Carinity Fairfield Grange also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Carinity Fairfield Grange?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 61% of residents surveyed at Carinity Fairfield Grange said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 9.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 57% in 2024. Another 11% answered “some of the time” and 28% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Carinity Fairfield Grange spent $19 per resident per day on food, 19% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.09 per resident per day, 68% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Carinity Fairfield Grange, 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”.
61% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Carinity Fairfield Grange spend on resident care?
Total spending at Carinity Fairfield Grange in the 2024–25 financial year was $435.23 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 55.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $240.67 was 9% below the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($55.47), accommodation and maintenance ($54.05), and cleaning and laundry ($34.86) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($152.12) and registered nurses ($54.07).
