Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for South Port Community Residential Home is 4.52 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 246 minutes against a 226-minute daily care target; RN time is 62 against 45.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
66% positive in 2026, compared with 92% in 2025: 26 percentage points lower.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does South Port Community Residential Home provide?
South Port Community Residential Home reported 246 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 20 minutes above its target of 226 minutes. Of those minutes, 62 came from registered nurses, 17 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
South Port Community Residential Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 239 to 265 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 184 of the 246 minutes (74.8%), followed by registered nurses (62 minutes, 25.2%). In the same quarter, South Port Community Residential Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at South Port Community Residential Home?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 66% of residents surveyed at South Port Community Residential Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 26 percentage points lower than the 92% recorded in 2025. Another 33% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at South Port Community Residential Home in January to March 2026 was $31 per resident per day, 94% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.36 per resident per day, 29% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to South Port Community Residential Home, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. Of all meals, 29% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
66% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does South Port Community Residential Home spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at South Port Community Residential Home in the 2024–25 financial year was $332.01 per resident per day, 25% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $493.52 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($50.51), administration ($50.33), and cleaning and laundry ($28.11) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($164.21) and registered nurses ($97.66).
What do residents say about South Port Community Residential Home?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at South Port Community Residential Home answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether the home is well run, above the 88.1% average across other homes by 11.9 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.1%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 84.2%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 83% 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 below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. Of residents asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 50% answered “always”, 33% “most of the time” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 75% of residents surveyed at South Port Community Residential Home answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 58% answered “always” and 42% “most of the time”.
