Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Caulfield Horizons Care Community is 2.93 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
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% across other homes.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 205 vs 218 minutes; registered nurses: 52 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
75% positive in 2026, compared with 92% in 2025: 17 percentage points lower.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Caulfield Horizons Care Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Caulfield Horizons Care Community reported 205 minutes of care per resident per day, 13 minutes below its target of 218 minutes. Registered nurses provided 52 of those minutes, 7 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Caulfield Horizons Care Community met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 205 to 240 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 129 of the 205 minutes (62.9%), followed by registered nurses (52 minutes, 25.4%) and enrolled nurses (24 minutes, 11.7%). In the same quarter, Caulfield Horizons Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Caulfield Horizons Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 75% of residents surveyed at Caulfield Horizons Care Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 7.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 92% in 2025. Another 25% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Caulfield Horizons Care Community in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.24 per resident per day, 14% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Caulfield Horizons Care Community, 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”.
75% 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 Caulfield Horizons Care Community?
When residents surveyed at Caulfield Horizons Care Community for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.2 percentage points below the average of 87.2% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (92% against 95.4%) and whether staff treat them with respect (92% against 95.4%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they get the care they need: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 94.4%. 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?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 50% answered “always”, 33% “most of the time”, 8% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 75% of residents surveyed at Caulfield Horizons Care Community answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
