Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Residential Gardens 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
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
94% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
94% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 233 vs 222 minutes; registered nurses: 37 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
39% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
39% positive in 2025, compared with 64% in 2024: 25 percentage points lower.
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 | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.28% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Residential Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Residential Gardens for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 39% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 31.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 64% in 2024. Another 61% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Residential Gardens spent $41 per resident per day on food, 156% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Residential Gardens reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Residential Gardens, 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”.
39% 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 Residential Gardens?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 94% of residents surveyed at Residential Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, above the 88.6% average across other homes by 5.4 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (94% against 89.3%) and whether staff know what they are doing (94% against 89.5%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 66% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 85.2%. In all, answers on 2 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 how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 44% answered “always”, 22% “most of the time” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 89% of residents surveyed at Residential Gardens answered “always” and 11% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 72% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Residential Gardens provide?
Residential Gardens reported 233 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 11 minutes above its target of 222 minutes. Of those minutes, 37 came from registered nurses, 8 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In none of the last four quarters did Residential Gardens meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 222 to 258 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 194 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (37 minutes) and enrolled nurses (3 minutes). In the same quarter, Residential Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Residential Gardens spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Residential Gardens spent $312.32 per resident per day on care and nursing, 18% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $498.87 per resident per day. These figures 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 ($54.29), administration ($53.26), and cleaning and laundry ($38.04) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($182.59) and other care consumables ($47.08).
