Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton is 4 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 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.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
86% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% 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: 2025 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 2025 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 | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton provide?
In January to March 2026, St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton reported 226 minutes of care per resident per day, 16 minutes above its target of 210 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In three of the last four quarters, St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 202 to 226 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 226 minutes, personal care workers provided 179 (79.2%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 20.8%). In the same quarter, St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton in the 2024–25 financial year was $238.07 per resident per day, 10% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $382.81 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($40.47), administration ($40.32), and cleaning and laundry ($19.74) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($148.37) and registered nurses ($58.60).
What is the food like at St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton?
When residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 78% in 2024. Another 17% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.34 per resident per day, 21% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton, 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”.
77% 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 Services Mitchelton?
When residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.8 percentage points above the average of 93.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (94% against 88.6%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 86% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 49% answered “always”, 37% “most of the time” and 14% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton were asked whether they feel safe, 80% answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”.
