Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for St Vincent's Care Carina is 4.37 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 237 minutes against a 212-minute daily care target; RN time is 49 against 43.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% 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 | 95.35% | 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 | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does St Vincent's Care Carina provide?
St Vincent's Care Carina reported 237 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 25 minutes above its target of 212 minutes. Of those minutes, 49 came from registered nurses, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, St Vincent's Care Carina met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 237 to 246 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 188 of the 237 minutes (79.3%), followed by registered nurses (49 minutes, 20.7%). In the same quarter, St Vincent's Care Carina also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at St Vincent's Care Carina?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 79% of residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Carina said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 11.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 84% in 2025. Another 17% answered “some of the time” and 3% “never”.
In January to March 2026, St Vincent's Care Carina spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.33 per resident per day, 18% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to St Vincent's Care Carina, 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”.
79% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about St Vincent's Care Carina?
When residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Carina for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.9 percentage points above the average of 88.1% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (100% against 95.4%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (96% against 92.7%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.1%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 52% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time”, 14% “some of the time” and 3% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Carina were asked whether they feel safe, 83% answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 69% answered “always” and 24% “most of the time”.
How does St Vincent's Care Carina spend on resident care?
Total spending at St Vincent's Care Carina in the 2024–25 financial year was $412.55 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $252.09 was 5% 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($48.23), administration ($41.70), and cleaning and laundry ($25.21) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($159.07) and registered nurses ($55.02).
