Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Highton Gardens Care Community is 3.23 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
83% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $13 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
94% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 212 vs 223 minutes; registered nurses: 43 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Support for independence is below the survey average
53% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% across other homes.
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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.18% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Highton Gardens Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 94% of residents surveyed at Highton Gardens Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, above the 84.2% average across other homes by 9.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%) and whether the home is well run (95% against 88.1%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 53% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.2%. In all, answers on 2 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 staff support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 24% answered “always”, 29% “most of the time” and 47% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 76% of residents surveyed at Highton Gardens Care Community answered “always” and 24% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 65% answered “always” and 35% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Highton Gardens Care Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Highton Gardens Care Community reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day, 11 minutes below its target of 223 minutes. Of those minutes, 43 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
Highton Gardens Care Community met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 210 to 221.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 148 minutes, followed by registered nurses (43 minutes) and enrolled nurses (22 minutes). Highton Gardens Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Highton Gardens Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 83% of residents surveyed at Highton Gardens Care Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 15.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 81% in 2025. Another 18% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Highton Gardens Care Community spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.22 per resident per day, 21% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Highton Gardens Care Community reports that 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”.
83% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Highton Gardens Care Community spend on resident care?
Total spending at Highton Gardens Care Community in the 2024–25 financial year was $455.79 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $286.62 was 8% 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 ($69.39), administration ($30.15), and cleaning and laundry ($25.44) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($155.20) and registered nurses ($59.18).
