Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court is 3.82 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 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.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% 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 | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.46% | 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 | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court answered “always” or “most of the time”, 11.4 percentage points above the average of 88.6% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%) and whether staff explain things to them (92% against 81.8%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 85% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.5%. In all, answers on 4 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?
On a visit, you can ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. When residents were asked whether they feel safe, 54% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time” and 15% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court were asked whether they get the care they need, 46% answered “always” and 46% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court provide?
In January to March 2026, Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court reported 232 minutes of care per resident per day, 4 minutes above its target of 228 minutes. Of those minutes, 47 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 230 to 245 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 232 minutes, personal care workers provided 177 (76.3%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 20.3%) and enrolled nurses (8 minutes, 3.4%). Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court?
When residents surveyed at Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. Another 31% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.31 per resident per day, 11% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Sinnamon Village - Knowles Court, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 40% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
69% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
