Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for St Vincent's Care Services Southport is 4.52 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 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 Southport provide?
In January to March 2026, St Vincent's Care Services Southport reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day, 23 minutes above its target of 205 minutes. Of those minutes, 54 came from registered nurses, 12 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
St Vincent's Care Services Southport met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 206 to 228 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 172 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (54 minutes) and enrolled nurses (1 minute). In the same quarter, St Vincent's Care Services Southport also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at St Vincent's Care Services Southport?
When residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Southport for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 3.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 75% in 2024. Another 28% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, St Vincent's Care Services Southport spent $20 per resident per day on food, 25% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.62 per resident per day, 121% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
St Vincent's Care Services Southport 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”.
67% 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 Southport?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 95% of residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Southport answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 13.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At St Vincent's Care Services Southport, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Southport were asked whether they feel safe, 94% answered “always” and 6% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 94% answered “always” and 6% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at St Vincent's Care Services Southport, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities and 94% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
How does St Vincent's Care Services Southport spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at St Vincent's Care Services Southport in the 2024–25 financial year was $234.70 per resident per day, 11% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $379.61 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 administration ($43.85), accommodation and maintenance ($39.66), and cleaning and laundry ($19.43) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($141.49) and registered nurses ($50.33).
