Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Hugh Cunningham Gardens is 4.15 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three 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 218 minutes against a 215-minute daily care target; RN time is 47 against 43.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 46% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
39% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
46% positive in 2026, compared with 84% in 2025: 38 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 | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.29% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Hugh Cunningham Gardens?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 92% of residents surveyed at Hugh Cunningham Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time”, 7.8 percentage points above the average of 84.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 39% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%. 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 explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 8% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time”, 54% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Hugh Cunningham Gardens were asked whether they feel safe, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Hugh Cunningham Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Hugh Cunningham Gardens for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 46% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 21.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 84% in 2025. Another 54% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Hugh Cunningham Gardens in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.04 per resident per day, 86% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Hugh Cunningham Gardens 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”.
46% 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 Hugh Cunningham Gardens provide?
Hugh Cunningham Gardens reported 218 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 3 minutes above its target of 215 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
Hugh Cunningham Gardens met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 207 to 218.
Who provides that care?
Of the 218 minutes, personal care workers provided 163 (74.8%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 21.6%) and enrolled nurses (8 minutes, 3.7%). In the same quarter, Hugh Cunningham Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Hugh Cunningham Gardens spend on resident care?
Total spending at Hugh Cunningham Gardens in the 2024–25 financial year was $492.46 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 55.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $273.98 was 3% above the sector median of $264.85. 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 ($62.03), accommodation and maintenance ($58.51), and cleaning and laundry ($44.96) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($152.33) and registered nurses ($74.38).
