Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Diamond Creek Care Community is 3.23 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
76% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents report stronger support for independence
94% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 212 vs 221 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 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: 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 | 95.86% | 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 | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Diamond Creek Care Community provide?
Diamond Creek Care Community reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 9 minutes below its target of 221 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In none of the last four quarters did Diamond Creek Care Community meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 212 to 223 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 148 of the 212 minutes (69.8%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 19.8%) and enrolled nurses (22 minutes, 10.4%). Diamond Creek Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Diamond Creek Care Community?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they have a say in their daily activities, 83% of residents surveyed at Diamond Creek Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.2 percentage points below the average of 93.2% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (77% against 85.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (82% against 89.5%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 94% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.6%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 71% answered “always”, 12% “most of the time”, 12% “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Diamond Creek Care Community were asked whether they feel safe, 76% answered “always” and 18% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 59% answered “always” and 35% “most of the time”.
How does Diamond Creek Care Community spend on resident care?
Total spending at Diamond Creek Care Community in the 2024–25 financial year was $467.71 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.0% of it. Care and nursing spending of $290.02 was 10% above the sector median of $264.85. These amounts 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 ($65.87), cleaning and laundry ($31) and administration ($30.49) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($157.35) and registered nurses ($58.71).
What is the food like at Diamond Creek Care Community?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 76% of residents surveyed at Diamond Creek Care Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 85% in 2024. Another 24% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Diamond Creek Care Community in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.26 per resident per day, 7% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Diamond Creek 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”.
76% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
