Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Infinite Care Mount Lofty is 3.23 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
74% positive in 2025, compared with 60% in 2024: 14 percentage points higher.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
74% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 214 vs 219 minutes; registered nurses: 44 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
63% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
59% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% 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 | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.35% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 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 Infinite Care Mount Lofty?
When residents surveyed at Infinite Care Mount Lofty for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 63% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 26.3 percentage points below the average of 89.3% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (59% against 85.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (67% against 89.5%).
At Infinite Care Mount Lofty, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 6 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 33% answered “always”, 30% “most of the time”, 30% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 70% of residents surveyed at Infinite Care Mount Lofty answered “always” and 22% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 63% answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Infinite Care Mount Lofty provide?
In January to March 2026, Infinite Care Mount Lofty reported 214 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes below its target of 219 minutes. Of those minutes, 44 came from registered nurses, matching the registered-nurse target of 44.
In one of the last four quarters, Infinite Care Mount Lofty met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 214 to 224 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 214 minutes, personal care workers provided 167 (78.0%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 20.6%) and enrolled nurses (3 minutes, 1.4%). In the same quarter, Infinite Care Mount Lofty also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Infinite Care Mount Lofty spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Infinite Care Mount Lofty spent $214.91 per resident per day on care and nursing, 19% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $434.80 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($92.04), administration ($54.11), and cleaning and laundry ($30.43) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($132.28) and registered nurses ($50.85).
What is the food like at Infinite Care Mount Lofty?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 74% of residents surveyed at Infinite Care Mount Lofty said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 3.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 60% in 2024. Another 19% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Food spending at Infinite Care Mount Lofty in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.23 per resident per day, 18% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Infinite Care Mount Lofty, 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”.
74% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
