Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Juniper Elimatta is 4 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 217 minutes against a 215-minute daily care target; RN time is 44 against 43.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
84% positive in 2026, compared with 61% in 2025: 23 percentage points higher.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% 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: 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 | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Juniper Elimatta?
When residents surveyed at Juniper Elimatta for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 84% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 16.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 61% in 2025. Another 15% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Juniper Elimatta in January to March 2026 was $19 per resident per day, 19% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Juniper Elimatta reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Juniper Elimatta 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”.
84% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Juniper Elimatta?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 77% of residents surveyed at Juniper Elimatta answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, below the 84.2% average across other homes by 7.2 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (84% against 88.1%) and whether staff are kind and caring (92% against 95.4%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. In all, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 31% answered “always”, 46% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 69% of residents surveyed at Juniper Elimatta answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 92% answered “always”.
How much care and nursing does Juniper Elimatta provide?
Juniper Elimatta reported 217 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 2 minutes above its target of 215 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Juniper Elimatta met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 215 to 227.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 165 of the 217 minutes (76.0%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 20.3%) and enrolled nurses (8 minutes, 3.7%). In the same quarter, Juniper Elimatta also reported spending on podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Juniper Elimatta spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Juniper Elimatta spent $409.23 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $258.96 was 2% below 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 ($58.71), accommodation and maintenance ($24.01), and cleaning and laundry ($23.20) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($149.54) and registered nurses ($67.49).
