Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Kanwal Springs Care Community is 3.04 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.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$13 a day vs a $16 sector median; 44% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
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
44% positive in 2026, compared with 61% in 2025: 17 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 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 | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Kanwal Springs Care Community provide?
Kanwal Springs Care Community reported 201 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 19 minutes below its target of 220 minutes. Of those minutes, 39 came from registered nurses, 5 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
Who provides that care?
Of the 201 minutes, personal care workers provided 159 (79.1%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 19.4%) and enrolled nurses (3 minutes, 1.5%). In the same quarter, Kanwal Springs Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Kanwal Springs Care Community?
When residents surveyed at Kanwal Springs Care Community for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 44% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 23.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 61% in 2025. Another 43% answered “some of the time” and 13% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Kanwal Springs Care Community spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.26 per resident per day, 7% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Kanwal Springs Care Community, 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”.
44% 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 Kanwal Springs Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Kanwal Springs Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 12.9 percentage points above the average of 87.1% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (91% against 84.2%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 74% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 26% answered “always”, 48% “most of the time” and 26% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 91% of residents surveyed at Kanwal Springs Care Community answered “always” and 9% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 65% answered “always” and 35% “most of the time”.
