Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for St Vincent's Care Services Bardon is 3.97 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
82% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% 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 | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
How does St Vincent's Care Services Bardon spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at St Vincent's Care Services Bardon in the 2024–25 financial year was $221.01 per resident per day, 17% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $368.19 per resident per day. 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 administration ($43.94), accommodation and maintenance ($34.77), and cleaning and laundry ($20.34) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($120.14) and registered nurses ($63.61).
What do residents say about St Vincent's Care Services Bardon?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 69% of residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Bardon answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 80.3% average across other homes by 11.3 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (82% against 92.7%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (75% against 84.2%).
At St Vincent's Care Services Bardon, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 5 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 38% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time”, 25% “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 81% of residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Bardon answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 69% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at St Vincent's Care Services Bardon?
When residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Bardon for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 63% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 69% in 2025. Another 6% answered “some of the time” and 31% “never”.
In January to March 2026, St Vincent's Care Services Bardon spent $19 per resident per day on food, 19% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.54 per resident per day, 93% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to St Vincent's Care Services Bardon, 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”.
63% 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's Care Services Bardon provide?
In January to March 2026, St Vincent's Care Services Bardon reported 206 minutes of care per resident per day, 4 minutes above its target of 202 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 41.
In three of the last four quarters, St Vincent's Care Services Bardon met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 184 to 216.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 158 of the 206 minutes (76.7%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 22.8%) and enrolled nurses (1 minute, 0.5%). In the same quarter, St Vincent's Care Services Bardon also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
