Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility is 3.64 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
100% 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: 208 vs 216 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
61% positive in 2026, compared with 75% in 2025: 14 percentage points lower.
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 | 3.19 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 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 | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility provide?
Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility reported 208 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 8 minutes below its target of 216 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In one of the last four quarters, Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 194 to 220.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 167 of the 208 minutes (80.3%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 19.7%). Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility in the 2024–25 financial year was $330.48 per resident per day, 25% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $452.56 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 cleaning and laundry ($30.42), accommodation and maintenance ($29.29) and administration ($17.02) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($201.41) and registered nurses ($72.35).
What do residents say about Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility 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 15.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 87.1%) and whether the home is well run (100% against 88.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
On 9 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility were asked whether they feel safe, 83% answered “always” and 11% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 83% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
What is the food like at Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 61% of residents surveyed at Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 6.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 75% in 2025. Another 28% answered “some of the time” and 11% “never”.
Food spending at Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.05 per resident per day, 82% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Hixson Gardens Aged Care Facility 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”.
61% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
