Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Casson House is 3.97 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
56% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
89% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% 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 | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Casson House?
When residents surveyed at Casson House for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 56% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 14.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 50% in 2024. Another 44% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Casson House in January to March 2026 was $27 per resident per day, 69% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.31 per resident per day, 11% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Casson House 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”.
56% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Casson House provide?
Casson House reported 185 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes above its target of 180 minutes. Of those minutes, 44 came from registered nurses, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 38.
In three of the last four quarters, Casson House met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 175 to 266.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 135 minutes, followed by registered nurses (44 minutes) and enrolled nurses (5 minutes). Casson House also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Casson House spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Casson House spent $220.18 per resident per day on care and nursing, 17% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $401.18 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 ($55.84), cleaning and laundry ($38.77), and accommodation and maintenance ($29.35) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($118.63) and registered nurses ($53.63).
What do residents say about Casson House?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Casson House answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, above the 88.6% average across other homes by 11.4 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 89% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.5%. 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. When residents were asked whether they feel safe, 22% answered “always”, 67% “most of the time” and 11% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 44% of residents surveyed at Casson House answered “always” and 44% “most of the time”.
