Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Grace Villa Aged Care is 3.6 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
85% enjoy meals vs 70.2% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Staff communication is a relative strength
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Following up concerns is below the survey average
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
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
84% 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 | 95.86% | 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 | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Grace Villa Aged Care?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 92% of residents surveyed at Grace Villa Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 10.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.9%) and whether staff are kind and caring (100% against 96.0%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 85.2%. Altogether, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 46% answered “always”, 23% “most of the time”, 23% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 62% of residents surveyed at Grace Villa Aged Care answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 62% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Grace Villa Aged Care?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 85% of residents surveyed at Grace Villa Aged Care said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 14.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 77% in 2024. Another 8% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Grace Villa Aged Care spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below 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 Grace Villa 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”.
85% 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 Grace Villa Aged Care provide?
Grace Villa Aged Care reported 201 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes above its target of 196 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 40.
In three of the last four quarters, Grace Villa Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 192 to 201.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 159 of the 201 minutes (79.1%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 20.9%). In the same quarter, Grace Villa Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Grace Villa Aged Care spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Grace Villa Aged Care in the 2024–25 financial year was $228.83 per resident per day, 14% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $402.75 per resident per day. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($70.45), accommodation and maintenance ($48.88), and cleaning and laundry ($28.37) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($134.82) and registered nurses ($64.70).
