Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Sunnycare Residential is 3.75 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 220 minutes against a 219-minute daily care target; RN time is 45 against 44.
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
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
64% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Support for independence is below the survey average
57% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% 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 | 95.38% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.27% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.44% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.12% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.18% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.24% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.45% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Sunnycare Residential?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 50% of residents surveyed at Sunnycare Residential answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff know what they are doing, below the 89.1% average across other homes by 39.1 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (64% against 95.4%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (57% against 87.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
On 8 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Sunnycare Residential were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
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, 36% answered “always”, 14% “most of the time” and 50% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Sunnycare Residential were asked whether they feel safe, 57% answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 64% answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Sunnycare Residential?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 43% of residents surveyed at Sunnycare Residential said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 24.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 79% in 2025. Another 50% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Food spending at Sunnycare Residential in January to March 2026 was $33 per resident per day, 106% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.16 per resident per day, 43% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Sunnycare Residential, 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”.
43% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Sunnycare Residential spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Sunnycare Residential spent $186.54 per resident per day on care and nursing, 30% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $510.47 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 accommodation and maintenance ($162.67), administration ($88.86), and cleaning and laundry ($29.28) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($108.35) and registered nurses ($49.83).
How much care and nursing does Sunnycare Residential provide?
Sunnycare Residential reported 220 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 219 minutes. Registered nurses provided 45 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In each of the last four quarters, Sunnycare Residential met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 222.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 175 of the 220 minutes (79.5%), followed by registered nurses (45 minutes, 20.5%). In the same quarter, Sunnycare Residential also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
