Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Pines Living is 3.93 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’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 219 vs 209 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
65% positive in 2026, compared with 86% in 2025: 21 percentage points lower.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
73% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 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 Pines Living provide?
Pines Living reported 219 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 10 minutes above its target of 209 minutes. Registered nurses provided 41 of those minutes, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 42.
Pines Living met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 219 to 227 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 219 minutes, personal care workers provided 174 (79.5%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 18.7%) and enrolled nurses (4 minutes, 1.8%). In the same quarter, Pines Living also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Pines Living?
When residents surveyed at Pines Living for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 65% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 21 percentage points lower than the 86% recorded in 2025. Another 26% answered “some of the time” and 9% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Pines Living spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.50 per resident per day, 79% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Pines Living 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”.
65% 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 Pines Living?
When residents surveyed at Pines Living for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 73% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 7.3 percentage points below the average of 80.3% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (82% against 89.1%) and whether they feel safe (92% against 96.3%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 92.7%. 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 how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 43% answered “always”, 30% “most of the time”, 22% “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Pines Living were asked whether they get the care they need, 57% answered “always” and 43% “most of the time”.
How does Pines Living spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Pines Living spent $391.56 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 66.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $259.10 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($36.74), administration ($32.71), and cleaning and laundry ($21.57) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($163.06) and registered nurses ($42.06).
