Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care is 3.6 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
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.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
76% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
83% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.87% | 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 | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care?
When residents surveyed at Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 76% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 13.5 percentage points below the average of 89.5% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (83% against 95.9%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (76% against 85.2%).
At Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 6 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 41% answered “always”, 35% “most of the time” and 24% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 65% of residents surveyed at Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care answered “always” and 29% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 47% answered “always” and 47% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care?
When residents surveyed at Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 59% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 11.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 67% in 2024. Another 41% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care in January to March 2026 was $19 per resident per day, 19% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.43 per resident per day, 54% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott 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”.
59% 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 Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care provide?
Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 3 minutes above its target of 225 minutes. Registered nurses provided 48 of those minutes, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In two of the last four quarters, Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 222 to 228 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 228 minutes, personal care workers provided 180 (78.9%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 21.1%). In the same quarter, Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care spend on resident care?
Total spending at Catholic Healthcare Gertrude Abbott Aged Care in the 2024–25 financial year was $459.80 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 57.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $265.55 was in line with 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 administration ($75.21), cleaning and laundry ($32.79), and accommodation and maintenance ($28.07) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($163.66) and registered nurses ($72.47).
