Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for San Carlo Homes for the Aged is 3.6 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
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.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
88% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Staff communication is a relative strength
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 35% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 222 vs 213 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
35% positive in 2026, compared with 72% in 2025: 37 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: 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 | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.37% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What is the food like at San Carlo Homes for the Aged?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 35% of residents surveyed at San Carlo Homes for the Aged said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 32.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 72% in 2025. Another 65% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, San Carlo Homes for the Aged spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.39 per resident per day, 39% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to San Carlo Homes for the Aged, 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”.
35% 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 San Carlo Homes for the Aged?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 84% of residents surveyed at San Carlo Homes for the Aged answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they get the care they need, below the 94.4% average across other homes by 10.4 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (81% against 89.1%) and whether they feel safe (89% against 96.3%).
The largest gap above other homes was 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%. In all, 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 care plans are reviewed and changed. When residents were asked whether they get the care they need, 46% answered “always”, 38% “most of the time” and 15% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at San Carlo Homes for the Aged, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 89% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
How much care and nursing does San Carlo Homes for the Aged provide?
In January to March 2026, San Carlo Homes for the Aged reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day, 9 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
San Carlo Homes for the Aged met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 222 to 235.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 166 of the 222 minutes (74.8%), followed by registered nurses (40 minutes, 18.0%) and enrolled nurses (16 minutes, 7.2%). In the same quarter, San Carlo Homes for the Aged also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does San Carlo Homes for the Aged spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, San Carlo Homes for the Aged spent $419.63 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $270.99 was 2% above 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 ($44.28), accommodation and maintenance ($44.10), and cleaning and laundry ($27.38) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($163.35) and registered nurses ($60.90).
