Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Kara Court Nursing Home is 4.52 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 353 minutes against a 223-minute daily care target; RN time is 109 against 45.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
90% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Support for independence is below the survey average
70% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% across other homes.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
70% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
90% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% 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: 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.17% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Kara Court Nursing Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Kara Court Nursing Home reported 353 minutes of care per resident per day, 130 minutes above its target of 223 minutes. Of those minutes, 109 came from registered nurses, 64 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Kara Court Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 254 to 353 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Enrolled nurses provided 195 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (109 minutes) and personal care workers (48 minutes). In the same quarter, Kara Court Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Kara Court Nursing Home?
When residents surveyed at Kara Court Nursing Home for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 70% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 87.2% average across other homes by 17.2 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (70% against 80.3%) and whether they feel safe (90% against 96.3%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%. Altogether, answers on 4 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 staff support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 60% answered “always”, 10% “most of the time” and 30% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 80% of residents surveyed at Kara Court Nursing Home answered “always” and 10% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Kara Court Nursing Home?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 90% of residents surveyed at Kara Court Nursing Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 22.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 91% in 2025. Another 10% answered “never”.
Food spending at Kara Court Nursing Home in January to March 2026 was $45 per resident per day, 181% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Kara Court Nursing Home reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Kara Court Nursing Home reports that breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
90% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Kara Court Nursing Home spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Kara Court Nursing Home in the 2024–25 financial year was $416.31 per resident per day, 57% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $844.68 per resident per day. These amounts 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 ($137.85), cleaning and laundry ($95.37) and administration ($27.33) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to enrolled nurses ($196.17) and registered nurses ($151.57).
