Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for St Joseph's House is 3.16 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% across other homes.
Staff communication is a relative strength
85% 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
$9 a day vs a $16 sector median; 46% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 193 vs 194 minutes; registered nurses: 30 vs 40 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 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 | 3.19 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.73% | 1080 |
What do residents say about St Joseph's House?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they have a say in their daily activities, 69% of residents surveyed at St Joseph's House answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 92.7% average across other homes by 23.7 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (77% against 87.2%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (77% against 84.2%).
The largest gap above other homes was 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%. Altogether, 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?
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, 69% answered “always”, 23% “some of the time” and 8% “never”; none answered “most of the time”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at St Joseph's House were asked whether they feel safe, 46% answered “always” and 46% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at St Joseph's House?
When residents surveyed at St Joseph's House for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 46% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 21.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share rose from 40% in 2025. Another 38% answered “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
In January to March 2026, St Joseph's House spent $9 per resident per day on food, 44% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.05 per resident per day, 82% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
St Joseph's House 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”.
46% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does St Joseph's House provide?
St Joseph's House reported 193 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute below its target of 194 minutes. Registered nurses provided 30 of those minutes, 10 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 40.
St Joseph's House met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 189 to 205 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 193 minutes, personal care workers provided 133 (68.9%), followed by registered nurses (30 minutes, 15.5%) and enrolled nurses (30 minutes, 15.5%). St Joseph's House also reported spending on dietitians and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does St Joseph's House spend on resident care?
Total spending at St Joseph's House in the 2024–25 financial year was $382.67 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $246.48 was 7% below 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 ($34.96), accommodation and maintenance ($33.02), and cleaning and laundry ($30.41) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($116.56) and registered nurses ($48.64).
