Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Carinya Of Bicton is 3.74 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
77% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $12 vs a $16 sector median.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 234 minutes against a 220-minute daily care target; RN time is 45 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
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% 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 | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 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 Carinya Of Bicton provide?
Carinya Of Bicton reported 234 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 14 minutes above its target of 220 minutes. Registered nurses provided 45 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In each of the last four quarters, Carinya Of Bicton met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 234 to 325 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 178 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (45 minutes) and enrolled nurses (12 minutes). In the same quarter, Carinya Of Bicton also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Carinya Of Bicton spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Carinya Of Bicton spent $308.56 per resident per day on care and nursing, 17% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $497.14 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 accommodation and maintenance ($68.65), administration ($51.42), and cleaning and laundry ($29.62) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($179.07) and registered nurses ($60.47).
What is the food like at Carinya Of Bicton?
When residents surveyed at Carinya Of Bicton for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 58% in 2024. Another 15% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at Carinya Of Bicton in January to March 2026 was $12 per resident per day, 25% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Carinya Of Bicton reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Carinya Of Bicton 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”.
77% 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 Carinya Of Bicton?
When residents surveyed at Carinya Of Bicton for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 85.2% average across other homes by 8.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (76% against 81.8%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (84% against 88.6%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.0%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 46% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time”, 15% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 54% of residents surveyed at Carinya Of Bicton answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 62% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
