Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Garrawarra Centre is 3.41 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Two 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 286 minutes against a 231-minute daily care target; RN time is 65 against 46.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
64% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
53% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
58% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.47% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.49% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.50% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.22% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.98% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.21% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Garrawarra Centre provide?
Garrawarra Centre reported 286 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 55 minutes above its target of 231 minutes. Registered nurses provided 65 of those minutes, 19 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 46.
In each of the last four quarters, Garrawarra Centre met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 274 to 288 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 286 minutes, personal care workers provided 173 (60.5%), followed by registered nurses (65 minutes, 22.7%) and enrolled nurses (48 minutes, 16.8%). In the same quarter, Garrawarra Centre also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Garrawarra Centre?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they feel safe, 64% of residents surveyed at Garrawarra Centre answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 96.5% average across other homes by 32.5 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (53% against 85.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (58% against 89.5%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
At Garrawarra Centre, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. When residents were asked whether they feel safe, 29% answered “always”, 35% “most of the time”, 24% “some of the time” and 12% “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 29% of residents surveyed at Garrawarra Centre answered “always” and 47% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Garrawarra Centre?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 53% of residents surveyed at Garrawarra Centre said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 17.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 60% in 2024. Another 35% answered “some of the time” and 12% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Garrawarra Centre spent $30 per resident per day on food, 88% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $3.08 per resident per day, 1000% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Garrawarra Centre reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 20% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
53% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Garrawarra Centre spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Garrawarra Centre in the 2024–25 financial year was $350.98 per resident per day, 33% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $670.90 per resident per day. 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 ($111.63), accommodation and maintenance ($82.17), and cleaning and laundry ($70.46) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($137.80) and registered nurses ($87.41).
