Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Thomas Eccles Gardens is 3.93 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 improved in the latest survey
88% positive in 2025, compared with 57% in 2024: 31 percentage points higher.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
88% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.2% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Getting needed care is below the survey average
81% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.5% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
88% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
88% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Thomas Eccles Gardens provide?
In January to March 2026, Thomas Eccles Gardens reported 236 minutes of care per resident per day, 10 minutes above its target of 226 minutes. Of those minutes, 49 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Thomas Eccles Gardens met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 221 to 241 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 236 minutes, personal care workers provided 187 (79.2%), followed by registered nurses (49 minutes, 20.8%). Thomas Eccles Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Thomas Eccles Gardens?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 88% of residents surveyed at Thomas Eccles Gardens said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 17.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 57% in 2024. Another 13% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Thomas Eccles Gardens spent $19 per resident per day on food, 19% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Thomas Eccles Gardens reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Thomas Eccles Gardens, 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”.
88% 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 Thomas Eccles Gardens?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they get the care they need, 81% of residents surveyed at Thomas Eccles Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 94.5% average across other homes by 13.5 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (88% against 95.9%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (88% against 93.2%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.0%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how care plans are reviewed and changed. Of residents asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always”, 6% “most of the time” and 19% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 44% of residents surveyed at Thomas Eccles Gardens answered “always” and 50% “most of the time”.
How does Thomas Eccles Gardens spend on resident care?
Total spending at Thomas Eccles Gardens in the 2024–25 financial year was $421.38 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $265.73 was in line with 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 administration ($54.61), accommodation and maintenance ($33.84), and cleaning and laundry ($26.44) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($158.11) and registered nurses ($68.89).
