Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Semaphore Residential Care Centre is 3.64 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 220 minutes against a 210-minute daily care target; RN time is 52 against 43.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$11 a day vs a $16 sector median; 50% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
58% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.38% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.28% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.44% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.11% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.25% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Semaphore Residential Care Centre?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 58% of residents surveyed at Semaphore Residential Care Centre answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they feel safe, 38.3 percentage points below the average of 96.3% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (50% against 84.2%) and whether staff treat them with respect (67% against 95.4%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. When residents were asked whether they feel safe, 33% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time” and 42% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 42% of residents surveyed at Semaphore Residential Care Centre answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Semaphore Residential Care Centre provide?
In January to March 2026, Semaphore Residential Care Centre reported 220 minutes of care per resident per day, 10 minutes above its target of 210 minutes. Of those minutes, 52 came from registered nurses, 9 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
Semaphore Residential Care Centre met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 215 to 249.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 150 minutes, followed by registered nurses (52 minutes) and enrolled nurses (19 minutes). Semaphore Residential Care Centre also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Semaphore Residential Care Centre?
When residents surveyed at Semaphore Residential Care Centre for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 50% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 17.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share was also 50% in 2025. Another 33% answered “some of the time” and 17% “never”.
Food spending at Semaphore Residential Care Centre in January to March 2026 was $11 per resident per day, 31% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.45 per resident per day, 61% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Semaphore Residential Care Centre 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”.
50% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Semaphore Residential Care Centre spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Semaphore Residential Care Centre spent $409.94 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 70.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $287.78 was 9% 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?
Spending on other categories included cleaning and laundry ($66.01), administration ($14.87), and accommodation and maintenance ($9.72) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($147.85) and registered nurses ($68.49).
