Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Amala Gordon ACT is 3.6 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Worth a closer look
Following up concerns is below the survey average
52% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
65% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
65% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% 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 | 95.37% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.17% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.25% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.73% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Uniting Amala Gordon ACT?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 52% of residents surveyed at Uniting Amala Gordon ACT answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, below the 84.2% average across other homes by 32.2 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (65% against 92.7%) and whether the home is well run (65% against 88.1%).
On 9 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Uniting Amala Gordon ACT 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?
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, 43% answered “always”, 9% “most of the time”, 22% “some of the time” and 26% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Amala Gordon ACT were asked whether they feel safe, 87% answered “always” and 9% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 65% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Uniting Amala Gordon ACT?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Amala Gordon ACT for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 47% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 20.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 80% in 2025. Another 26% answered “some of the time” and 26% “never”.
Food spending at Uniting Amala Gordon ACT in January to March 2026 was $20 per resident per day, 25% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.32 per resident per day, 14% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Uniting Amala Gordon ACT, breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
47% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Uniting Amala Gordon ACT provide?
In January to March 2026, Uniting Amala Gordon ACT reported 214 minutes of care per resident per day, 6 minutes above its target of 208 minutes. Of those minutes, 44 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Uniting Amala Gordon ACT 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 217.
Who provides that care?
Of the 214 minutes, personal care workers provided 167 (78.0%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 20.6%) and enrolled nurses (3 minutes, 1.4%). In the same quarter, Uniting Amala Gordon ACT also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Uniting Amala Gordon ACT spend on resident care?
Total spending at Uniting Amala Gordon ACT in the 2024–25 financial year was $427.16 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $271.53 was 3% above the sector median of $264.85. 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 administration ($57.61), accommodation and maintenance ($50.88), and cleaning and laundry ($19.58) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($175.77) and registered nurses ($56.92).
