Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community is 2.86 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Residents report stronger support for independence
94% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
94% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 213 vs 228 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 46 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
55% positive in 2026, compared with 67% 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 | 3.19 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 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 | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community provide?
Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community reported 213 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 15 minutes below its target of 228 minutes. Registered nurses provided 40 of those minutes, 6 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 46.
Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 213 to 226.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 150 minutes, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (22 minutes). In the same quarter, Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 55% of residents surveyed at Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 12.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 67% in 2025. Another 28% answered “some of the time” and 17% “never”.
Food spending at Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.21 per resident per day, 25% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community, 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”.
55% 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 Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, above the 92.7% average across other homes by 7.3 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (94% against 87.1%) and whether the home is well run (94% against 88.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
On 5 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 89% of residents surveyed at Surrey Hills Gardens Care Community answered “always” and 11% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 67% answered “always” and 28% “most of the time”.
