Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Serene Residential Care Services is 3.37 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 231 minutes against a 222-minute daily care target; RN time is 55 against 44.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
58% positive in 2026, compared with 41% in 2025: 17 percentage points higher.
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
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
59% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 95.37% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.28% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Serene Residential Care Services?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 59% of residents surveyed at Serene Residential Care Services answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 80.3% average across other homes by 21.3 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (75% against 92.7%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (67% against 84.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they get the care they need: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 94.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 42% answered “always”, 17% “most of the time”, 17% “some of the time” and 25% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Serene Residential Care Services were asked whether they feel safe, 58% answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Serene Residential Care Services provide?
Serene Residential Care Services reported 231 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 9 minutes above its target of 222 minutes. Of those minutes, 55 came from registered nurses, 11 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
Serene Residential Care Services met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 228 to 236 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 156 of the 231 minutes (67.5%), followed by registered nurses (55 minutes, 23.8%) and enrolled nurses (20 minutes, 8.7%). In the same quarter, Serene Residential Care Services also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Serene Residential Care Services?
When residents surveyed at Serene Residential Care Services for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 58% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 9.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 41% in 2025. Another 17% answered “some of the time” and 25% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Serene Residential Care Services spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $1.43 per resident per day, 411% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Serene Residential Care Services, breakfast and lunch are cooked fresh, while dinner is prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
58% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Serene Residential Care Services spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Serene Residential Care Services in the 2024–25 financial year was $291.73 per resident per day, 10% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $502.12 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($111.56), cleaning and laundry ($39.39) and administration ($15.80) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($132.96) and registered nurses ($59.51).
