Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Monash Gardens is 4.15 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
75% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $13 vs a $16 sector median.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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: 232 vs 215 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
62% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Support for independence is below the survey average
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% 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 | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.46% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Monash Gardens provide?
In January to March 2026, Monash Gardens reported 232 minutes of care per resident per day, 17 minutes above its target of 215 minutes. Registered nurses provided 42 of those minutes, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In none of the last four quarters did Monash Gardens meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 198 to 232.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 171 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (42 minutes) and enrolled nurses (18 minutes). Monash Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Monash Gardens?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 62% of residents surveyed at Monash Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, 19.8 percentage points below the average of 81.8% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (69% against 88.6%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (75% against 85.2%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they get the care they need: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 94.5%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 56% answered “always”, 6% “most of the time”, 25% “some of the time” and 13% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 81% of residents surveyed at Monash Gardens answered “always” and 6% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Monash Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Monash Gardens for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 78% in 2024. Another 19% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Monash Gardens spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.27 per resident per day, 4% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Monash 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”.
75% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Monash Gardens spend on resident care?
Total spending at Monash Gardens in the 2024–25 financial year was $436.11 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $258.62 was 2% below the sector median of $264.85. These amounts 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 ($58.12), accommodation and maintenance ($48.76), and cleaning and laundry ($23.14) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($143.76) and registered nurses ($55.91).
