Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for St Vincent Care Services Carseldine is 3.3 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
70% positive in 2026, compared with 89% in 2025: 19 percentage points lower.
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.
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 | 96.24% | 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 | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
What is the food like at St Vincent Care Services Carseldine?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 70% of residents surveyed at St Vincent Care Services Carseldine said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 19 percentage points lower than the 89% recorded in 2025. Another 24% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Food spending at St Vincent Care Services Carseldine in January to March 2026 was $22 per resident per day, 38% above 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 St Vincent Care Services Carseldine, 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”.
70% 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 Vincent Care Services Carseldine provide?
In January to March 2026, St Vincent Care Services Carseldine reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day, 6 minutes above its target of 216 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
St Vincent Care Services Carseldine met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 210 to 223 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 174 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (47 minutes). In the same quarter, St Vincent Care Services Carseldine also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about St Vincent Care Services Carseldine?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 82% of residents surveyed at St Vincent Care Services Carseldine 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 10.7 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (79% against 87.2%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (78% against 84.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.2%.
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, 58% answered “always”, 24% “most of the time”, 15% “some of the time” and 3% “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 64% of residents surveyed at St Vincent Care Services Carseldine answered “always” and 30% “most of the time”.
How does St Vincent Care Services Carseldine spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, St Vincent Care Services Carseldine spent $389 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $241.42 was 9% below the sector median of $264.85. 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 ($39.98), administration ($39.94), and cleaning and laundry ($25.28) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($149.67) and registered nurses ($56.99).
