Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for SummitCare St Marys is 3.6 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
Residents report stronger support for independence
91% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
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 spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$12 a day vs a $16 sector median; 56% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 222 vs 220 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
56% positive in 2026, compared with 68% in 2025: 12 percentage points lower.
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 | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at SummitCare St Marys?
When residents surveyed at SummitCare St Marys for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 56% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 11.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 68% in 2025. Another 26% answered “some of the time” and 17% “never”.
Food spending at SummitCare St Marys in January to March 2026 was $12 per resident per day, 25% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.39 per resident per day, 39% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
SummitCare St Marys 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”.
56% 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 SummitCare St Marys?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 70% of residents surveyed at SummitCare St Marys answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, 10.3 percentage points below the average of 80.3% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (74% against 84.2%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (83% against 92.7%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 91% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. In all, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 57% answered “always”, 13% “most of the time”, 17% “some of the time” and 13% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 87% of residents surveyed at SummitCare St Marys answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 65% answered “always” and 26% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does SummitCare St Marys provide?
In January to March 2026, SummitCare St Marys reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day, 2 minutes above its target of 220 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
SummitCare St Marys met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 212 to 223 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 222 minutes, personal care workers provided 174 (78.4%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 18.9%) and enrolled nurses (6 minutes, 2.7%). In the same quarter, SummitCare St Marys also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does SummitCare St Marys spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, SummitCare St Marys spent $404.54 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $253.15 was 4% 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($53.35), administration ($37.04), and cleaning and laundry ($22.34) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($156.10) and registered nurses ($54.71).
