Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Rubicon Grove is 3.49 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
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
94% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 209 vs 215 minutes; registered nurses: 37 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
81% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% 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 | 3.19 | 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 | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 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 |
How much care and nursing does Rubicon Grove provide?
Rubicon Grove reported 209 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 6 minutes below its target of 215 minutes. Registered nurses provided 37 of those minutes, 6 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Rubicon Grove met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 206 to 210 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 209 minutes, personal care workers provided 144 (68.9%), followed by registered nurses (37 minutes, 17.7%) and enrolled nurses (28 minutes, 13.4%). Rubicon Grove also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Rubicon Grove?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 94% of residents surveyed at Rubicon Grove answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, above the 85.2% average across other homes by 8.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%) and whether staff explain things to them (88% against 81.8%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 81% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 50% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time”, 13% “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 100% of residents surveyed at Rubicon Grove answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 69% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Rubicon Grove?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 63% of residents surveyed at Rubicon Grove said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 7.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 57% in 2024. Another 6% answered “some of the time” and 31% “never”.
Food spending at Rubicon Grove in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.41 per resident per day, 46% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Rubicon Grove 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”.
63% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Rubicon Grove spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Rubicon Grove spent $483.83 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 54.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $264.96 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($76.90), administration ($59.43), and cleaning and laundry ($30.89) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($143.61) and registered nurses ($58.20).
