Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for The Gardens is 3.9 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
75% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 225 vs 219 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% 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: 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 | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does The Gardens provide?
In January to March 2026, The Gardens reported 225 minutes of care per resident per day, 6 minutes above its target of 219 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
The Gardens met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 212 to 226.
Who provides that care?
Of the 225 minutes, personal care workers provided 154 (68.4%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 18.7%) and enrolled nurses (29 minutes, 12.9%). The Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about The Gardens?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at The Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 88.6% average across other homes by 11.4 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 81.8%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 84% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. In all, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. Of residents asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 67% answered “always”, 17% “most of the time” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 83% of residents surveyed at The Gardens answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at The Gardens?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 75% of residents surveyed at The Gardens said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 67% in 2024. Another 25% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at The Gardens in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.37 per resident per day, 32% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
The Gardens 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”.
75% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does The Gardens spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, The Gardens spent $400.68 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $250.02 was 6% 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($47.96), administration ($40.38), and cleaning and laundry ($23.91) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($113.38) and registered nurses ($51.18).
