Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Peter Sinclair 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
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
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
54% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% 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 | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 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 |
How much care and nursing does Peter Sinclair Gardens provide?
In January to March 2026, Peter Sinclair Gardens reported 227 minutes of care per resident per day, 8 minutes above its target of 219 minutes. Registered nurses provided 51 of those minutes, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In three of the last four quarters, Peter Sinclair Gardens met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 214 to 244 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 164 of the 227 minutes (72.2%), followed by registered nurses (51 minutes, 22.5%) and enrolled nurses (12 minutes, 5.3%). Peter Sinclair Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Peter Sinclair Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Peter Sinclair Gardens for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 54% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 16.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 46% in 2024. Another 38% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Peter Sinclair Gardens spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.30 per resident per day, 7% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Peter Sinclair 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”.
54% 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 Peter Sinclair Gardens?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at Peter Sinclair Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time”, 11.4 percentage points above the average of 88.6% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 85.2%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%. In all, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 46% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Peter Sinclair Gardens were asked whether they feel safe, 69% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 62% answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”.
How does Peter Sinclair Gardens spend on resident care?
Total spending at Peter Sinclair Gardens in the 2024–25 financial year was $452.17 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $265.87 was in line with 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?
Other categories included administration ($67.95), accommodation and maintenance ($41.39), and cleaning and laundry ($25.93) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($151.16) and registered nurses ($62.87).
