Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for IRT Culburra Beach is 4.34 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 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 201 vs 210 minutes; registered nurses: 46 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% 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 | 3.06 | 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 | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.18% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does IRT Culburra Beach provide?
In January to March 2026, IRT Culburra Beach reported 201 minutes of care per resident per day, 9 minutes below its target of 210 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In none of the last four quarters did IRT Culburra Beach meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 191 to 201.
Who provides that care?
Of the 201 minutes, personal care workers provided 155 (77.1%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 22.9%). In the same quarter, IRT Culburra Beach also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about IRT Culburra Beach?
When residents surveyed at IRT Culburra Beach for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 18.2 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (100% against 85.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 85% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.3%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. Of residents asked whether the home is well run, 64% answered “always”, 21% “most of the time”, 7% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at IRT Culburra Beach were asked whether they feel safe, 93% answered “always” and 7% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 86% answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”.
How does IRT Culburra Beach spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at IRT Culburra Beach in the 2024–25 financial year was $222.02 per resident per day, 16% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $387.31 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 administration ($66.84), cleaning and laundry ($31.08), and accommodation and maintenance ($22.25) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($132.66) and registered nurses ($61.58).
What is the food like at IRT Culburra Beach?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 71% of residents surveyed at IRT Culburra Beach said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 21 percentage points higher than the 50% recorded in 2024. Another 14% answered “some of the time” and 14% “never”.
In January to March 2026, IRT Culburra Beach spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.08 per resident per day, 71% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to IRT Culburra Beach, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 44% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
71% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
