Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for SwanCare Kingia/Tandara is 3.6 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.
Staff communication is a relative strength
87% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Residents report stronger support for independence
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 223 vs 221 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
52% positive in 2026, compared with 67% in 2025: 15 percentage points lower.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
68% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What is the food like at SwanCare Kingia/Tandara?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 52% of residents surveyed at SwanCare Kingia/Tandara said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 15.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 67% in 2025. Another 42% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, SwanCare Kingia/Tandara spent $59 per resident per day on food, 269% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.36 per resident per day, 29% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to SwanCare Kingia/Tandara, 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”.
52% 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 SwanCare Kingia/Tandara?
When residents surveyed at SwanCare Kingia/Tandara for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 68% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 16.2 percentage points below the average of 84.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (74% against 89.1%) and whether the home is well run (80% against 88.1%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 92.7%. In all, answers on 3 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?
On a visit, you can ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 45% answered “always”, 23% “most of the time” and 32% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at SwanCare Kingia/Tandara were asked whether they feel safe, 68% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 52% answered “always” and 42% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does SwanCare Kingia/Tandara provide?
In January to March 2026, SwanCare Kingia/Tandara reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day, 2 minutes above its target of 221 minutes. Registered nurses provided 40 of those minutes, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
SwanCare Kingia/Tandara met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 232 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 168 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (14 minutes). In the same quarter, SwanCare Kingia/Tandara also reported spending on physiotherapists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does SwanCare Kingia/Tandara spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, SwanCare Kingia/Tandara spent $432.22 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $266.79 was 1% above 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 ($46.61), administration ($42.09), and cleaning and laundry ($28.54) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($159.62) and registered nurses ($58.36).
