Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for St Mary's Aged Care is 4.04 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
65% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
70% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.11% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.73% | 1080 |
What do residents say about St Mary's Aged Care?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at St Mary's Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, below the 92.7% average across other homes by 27.7 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (70% against 89.1%) and whether staff are kind and caring (77% against 95.4%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 95% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 53% answered “always”, 12% “most of the time”, 29% “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at St Mary's Aged Care were asked whether they feel safe, 71% answered “always” and 18% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 53% answered “always” and 35% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does St Mary's Aged Care provide?
St Mary's Aged Care reported 202 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 10 minutes above its target of 192 minutes. Of those minutes, 45 came from registered nurses, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 39.
St Mary's Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 191 to 204 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 202 minutes, personal care workers provided 154 (76.2%), followed by registered nurses (45 minutes, 22.3%) and enrolled nurses (3 minutes, 1.5%). In the same quarter, St Mary's Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does St Mary's Aged Care spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, St Mary's Aged Care spent $212.14 per resident per day on care and nursing, 20% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $373.36 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 ($76.71), administration ($30.87), and cleaning and laundry ($27.14) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($128.55) and registered nurses ($50.25).
What is the food like at St Mary's Aged Care?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 53% of residents surveyed at St Mary's Aged Care said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 14.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share was also 53% in 2025. Another 29% answered “some of the time” and 18% “never”.
Food spending at St Mary's Aged Care in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.12 per resident per day, 57% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
St Mary's Aged Care 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”.
53% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
