Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Carrum Downs Aged Care is 3.53 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are 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.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$13 a day vs a $16 sector median; 46% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 218 vs 224 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
61% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.11% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.28% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.24% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Carrum Downs Aged Care?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 61% of residents surveyed at Carrum Downs Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 89.1% average across other homes by 28.1 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (54% against 80.3%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (61% against 84.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%. 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 the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 46% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time” and 38% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Carrum Downs Aged Care were asked whether they feel safe, 69% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 69% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Carrum Downs Aged Care provide?
In January to March 2026, Carrum Downs Aged Care reported 218 minutes of care per resident per day, 6 minutes below its target of 224 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
Carrum Downs Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 208 to 225 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 155 of the 218 minutes (71.1%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 18.8%) and enrolled nurses (22 minutes, 10.1%). Carrum Downs Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists and podiatrists in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Carrum Downs Aged Care?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 46% of residents surveyed at Carrum Downs Aged Care said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 21.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 62% in 2025. Another 38% answered “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Carrum Downs Aged Care spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Carrum Downs Aged Care reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Carrum Downs Aged Care, 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”.
46% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Carrum Downs Aged Care spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Carrum Downs Aged Care spent $412.83 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $253.87 was 4% 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 accommodation and maintenance ($58.73), administration ($52.16), and cleaning and laundry ($20.51) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($147.04) and registered nurses ($43.04).
