In person, Greater Melbourne
Aged care placement in Cardinia
There are nine residential aged care homes in Cardinia, from Pakenham to Officer.
Who can help find an aged care home in Cardinia?
My Aged Care (Australian Government, free, 1800 200 422) arranges the assessment and lists all nine homes in Cardinia, six of them rated four or five stars. For hands-on help, we ring the homes for real vacancies, come to the tours and explain the fees, for a fixed $1,950 paid by the family.
Aged care homes in Cardinia
Sorted by overall Star Rating, with McGregor Gardens Aged Care and Salisbury House Nursing Home at the top and Killara Hostel and Westernport Nursing Home not yet rated.
| Home | Suburb | Overall | Residents' experience | Compliance | Staffing | Quality measures | Care minutes (target) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McGregor Gardens Aged Care | Pakenham | 4 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 211 (210) | |
| Salisbury House Nursing Home | Beaconsfield Upper | 3 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 209 (208) | |
| Millhaven Lodge | Pakenham | 3 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 227 (208) | |
| Villa Maria Catholic Homes Shanagolden Aged Care Residence | Pakenham | 4 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 216 (209) | |
| Hillview Bunyip Aged Care Inc | Bunyip | 4 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 2 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 218 (220)Below | |
| Lifeview Emerald Glades | Emerald | 4 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 2 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 215 (217)Below | |
| Cardinia Community Aged Care | Officer | 3 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 215 (214) | |
| Killara Hostel | Kooweerup | Not rated | 5 of 5 | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not published |
| Westernport Nursing Home | Kooweerup | Not rated | 5 of 5 | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not published |
Care minutes are the average per resident per day in January to March 2026, with the home's target in brackets.
Star Ratings are published by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Shown as published in August 2026; they may have changed since. See the current rating on My Aged Care.
Suburb by suburb
- Pakenham: three homes with 300 places, led by McGregor Gardens Aged Care (4 stars); all with figures meet their care minutes target.
- Kooweerup: two homes with 60 places, led by Killara Hostel; all with figures meet their care minutes target.
- Beaconsfield Upper: Salisbury House Nursing Home, 4 stars overall, 90 places.
- Bunyip: Hillview Bunyip Aged Care Inc, 4 stars overall, 58 places, below its care minutes target.
- Emerald: Lifeview Emerald Glades, 4 stars overall, 60 places, below its care minutes target.
- Officer: Cardinia Community Aged Care, 3 stars overall, 198 places.
Cardinia in numbers
- 9 homes with 766 places between them, from Cardinia Community Aged Care (198) down to Westernport Nursing Home (20).
- 86% of rated homes have four or five stars overall, ahead of the Greater Melbourne figure of 68%.
- A mix of operators: 4 not-for-profit (such as Pakenham & District Hospital and Villa Maria Catholic Homes) and 3 for-profit (such as Menarock Aged Care Services (Victoria) and Menarock Aged Care Services (Templestowe)) and two government-run.
- Below their care minutes target in January to March 2026: 2 of 7 homes, among them Hillview Bunyip Aged Care Inc and Lifeview Emerald Glades (Greater Melbourne: 37%).
Sources: Star Ratings quarterly data extract (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, August 2026); GEN aged care service list (places, as at 30 June 2025). How we check our facts.
Worth knowing here
Residents gave Killara Hostel and Westernport Nursing Home five stars in the government's Residents' Experience Survey, a score only 13 homes in Greater Melbourne received.
The homes are far apart: Hillview Bunyip Aged Care Inc in Bunyip and Lifeview Emerald Glades in Emerald are about 31 km apart in a straight line, so settle early on which end of Cardinia suits the family who will visit most.
Killara Hostel and Westernport Nursing Home are government-run (by Bayside Health), among only 13 government-run homes in Greater Melbourne.
Hillview Bunyip Aged Care Inc and Lifeview Emerald Glades delivered fewer care minutes than their target in January to March 2026; the other 5 homes with figures met theirs.
Killara Hostel and Westernport Nursing Home have no overall Star Rating in the August 2026 release, which is common for new homes and homes that recently changed hands, so read their reports on the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission website instead.
Neighbouring council areas
Cardinia is in the Southern Metro planning region (ten council areas, 147 homes); these are the nearest council areas, measured between the middle of each area's homes.
| Council area | Homes | Four or five stars | Below care minutes target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casey | 18 | 65% | 10 of 17 |
| Greater Dandenong | 15 | 47% | 10 of 15 |
| Frankston | 14 | 69% | 7 of 13 |
| Knox | 21 | 88% | 7 of 18 |
Of these, Knox has both the most homes (21) and the highest share with four or five stars (88%).
Help finding a home here
We work in Cardinia in person, starting with the nine homes here and, if the right room is not free, nearby Casey and Greater Dandenong.
The full placement costs $1,950 including GST, paid by the family, and homes pay us nothing (how payment works).
If a hospital wants a discharge date, the urgent placement ($2,450) starts within one business day (hospital discharge help).
Questions families ask
How many aged care homes are there in Cardinia?
The August 2026 Star Ratings data lists nine residential aged care homes in Cardinia, with 766 places between them, in Pakenham (3), Kooweerup (2), Beaconsfield Upper, Bunyip, Emerald and Officer.
Which aged care homes in Cardinia have the highest Star Ratings?
No home in Cardinia has five stars; among the four-star homes, McGregor Gardens Aged Care, Salisbury House Nursing Home and Millhaven Lodge have the highest combined sub-ratings.
Which homes in Cardinia are below their care minutes target?
In January to March 2026, Hillview Bunyip Aged Care Inc and Lifeview Emerald Glades delivered fewer care minutes per resident than their government target, which feeds into their staffing Star Rating.
Who runs the aged care homes in Cardinia?
Four of the 9 homes are not-for-profit, three are for-profit and two are government-run. The operator with more than one home here is Bayside Health (2).
Tell us what's happening
Tell us what is happening and where in Cardinia you are looking. We will call to talk it through; the first conversation is free.
We're opening soon. We're not taking clients yet. Leave your details and we'll contact you when our Melbourne service opens. If you need help today, call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422, and if the person is in hospital, ask for the social worker or discharge planner.