Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Kilmore Grove Care Community is 3.26 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
88% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
88% positive in 2026, compared with 57% in 2025: 31 percentage points higher.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 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: 206 vs 220 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 44 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.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 96.26% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Kilmore Grove Care Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Kilmore Grove Care Community reported 206 minutes of care per resident per day, 14 minutes below its target of 220 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
Kilmore Grove Care Community met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 203 to 216 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 206 minutes, personal care workers provided 138 (67.0%), followed by registered nurses (40 minutes, 19.4%) and enrolled nurses (28 minutes, 13.6%). Kilmore Grove Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Kilmore Grove Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 88% of residents surveyed at Kilmore Grove Care Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 20.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 57% in 2025. Another 6% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Kilmore Grove Care Community spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.36 per resident per day, 29% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Kilmore Grove Care Community 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”.
88% 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 Kilmore Grove Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 87% of residents surveyed at Kilmore Grove Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they feel safe, below the 96.3% average across other homes by 9.3 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (82% against 89.1%) and whether the home is well run (81% against 88.1%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 94% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 84.2%. Altogether, 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?
On a visit, you can ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. Of residents asked whether they feel safe, 81% answered “always”, 6% “most of the time” and 13% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Kilmore Grove Care Community were asked whether they get the care they need, 56% answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”.
