Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Carinity Kepnock Grove is 4.37 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is 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.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 253 minutes against a 219-minute daily care target; RN time is 58 against 44.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% 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 | 3.07 | 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 | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Carinity Kepnock Grove provide?
In January to March 2026, Carinity Kepnock Grove reported 253 minutes of care per resident per day, 34 minutes above its target of 219 minutes. Registered nurses provided 58 of those minutes, 14 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In each of the last four quarters, Carinity Kepnock Grove met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 250 to 278.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 194 of the 253 minutes (76.7%), followed by registered nurses (58 minutes, 22.9%) and enrolled nurses (1 minute, 0.4%). Carinity Kepnock Grove 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 Kepnock Grove?
When residents surveyed at Carinity Kepnock Grove for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 24.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 84% in 2025. Another 8% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Carinity Kepnock Grove 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 $0.28 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Carinity Kepnock Grove, 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”.
92% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Carinity Kepnock Grove?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 100% of residents surveyed at Carinity Kepnock Grove answered “always” or “most of the time”, 15.8 percentage points above the average of 84.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 88.1%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 23% answered “always”, 54% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 77% of residents surveyed at Carinity Kepnock Grove answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 77% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
How does Carinity Kepnock Grove spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Carinity Kepnock Grove spent $294.91 per resident per day on care and nursing, 11% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $453.55 per resident per day. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($63.63), cleaning and laundry ($26.74), and accommodation and maintenance ($24.13) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($180.70) and registered nurses ($69.37).
