Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens is 4.26 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
5 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 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 214 vs 209 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
60% positive in 2025, compared with 80% in 2024: 20 percentage points lower.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
60% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 60% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 80% in 2024. Another 35% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens spent $21 per resident per day on food, 31% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.35 per resident per day, 25% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens 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”.
60% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens provide?
In January to March 2026, Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens reported 214 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes above its target of 209 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
In none of the last four quarters did Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 208 to 214 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 165 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (41 minutes) and enrolled nurses (9 minutes). Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 88.6% average across other homes by 11.4 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%) and whether staff explain things to them (92% against 81.8%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 96% of residents surveyed at Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens answered “always” and 4% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 91% answered “always” and 9% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How does Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Lutheran Services - Immanuel Gardens spent $415.73 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $242 was 9% 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 ($69.56), accommodation and maintenance ($32.74), and cleaning and laundry ($23.67) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($152.12) and registered nurses ($61.72).
