Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Castlemaine Health is 4.37 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 242 minutes against a 205-minute daily care target; RN time is 59 against 41.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
How well the home is run is below the survey average
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
78% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Castlemaine Health provide?
Castlemaine Health reported 242 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 37 minutes above its target of 205 minutes. Of those minutes, 59 came from registered nurses, 18 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 41.
Castlemaine Health met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 226 to 242 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, enrolled nurses provided 122 minutes, followed by personal care workers (62 minutes) and registered nurses (59 minutes). In the same quarter, Castlemaine Health also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Castlemaine Health?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 69% of residents surveyed at Castlemaine Health answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether the home is well run, 19.1 percentage points below the average of 88.1% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (78% against 89.1%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (83% against 92.7%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 91% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.2%. Altogether, answers on 2 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 52% answered “always”, 17% “most of the time”, 22% “some of the time” and 9% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 91% of residents surveyed at Castlemaine Health answered “always” and 9% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 65% answered “always” and 26% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Castlemaine Health?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 66% of residents surveyed at Castlemaine Health said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share rose from 60% in 2025. Another 22% answered “some of the time” and 13% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Castlemaine Health spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.07 per resident per day, 75% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Castlemaine Health, breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
66% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Castlemaine Health spend on resident care?
Total spending at Castlemaine Health in the 2024–25 financial year was $596.84 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 44.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $263.49 was 1% 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($140.89), administration ($63.57), and cleaning and laundry ($52.37) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to enrolled nurses ($106.28) and registered nurses ($75.55).
