Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Carino Care at Russell Lea is 4.45 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 224 minutes against a 217-minute daily care target; RN time is 50 against 44.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
67% positive in 2025, compared with 50% in 2024: 17 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Carino Care at Russell Lea provide?
In January to March 2026, Carino Care at Russell Lea reported 224 minutes of care per resident per day, 7 minutes above its target of 217 minutes. Registered nurses provided 50 of those minutes, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
Carino Care at Russell Lea met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 224 to 232 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 174 of the 224 minutes (77.7%), followed by registered nurses (50 minutes, 22.3%). Carino Care at Russell Lea also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Carino Care at Russell Lea?
When residents surveyed at Carino Care at Russell Lea for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 89.3% average across other homes by 10.7 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%) and whether staff are kind and caring (100% against 96.0%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%. Altogether, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 50% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time” and 25% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 92% of residents surveyed at Carino Care at Russell Lea answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
How does Carino Care at Russell Lea spend on resident care?
Total spending at Carino Care at Russell Lea in the 2024–25 financial year was $421.93 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.0% of it. Care and nursing spending of $244.77 was 8% below the sector median of $264.85. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($63.75), administration ($51.84), and cleaning and laundry ($25.92) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($146.64) and registered nurses ($54.25).
What is the food like at Carino Care at Russell Lea?
When residents surveyed at Carino Care at Russell Lea for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 3.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 50% in 2024. Another 25% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at Carino Care at Russell Lea in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.57 per resident per day, 104% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Carino Care at Russell Lea, 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”.
67% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
