Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Ashfield Terrace Care Community is 3.38 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
Following up concerns is above the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% across other homes.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 214 vs 227 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
56% positive in 2025, compared with 87% in 2024: 31 percentage points lower.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 95.86% | 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 | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Ashfield Terrace Care Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Ashfield Terrace Care Community reported 214 minutes of care per resident per day, 13 minutes below its target of 227 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 5 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In none of the last four quarters did Ashfield Terrace Care Community meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 209 to 220 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 165 minutes, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (8 minutes). In the same quarter, Ashfield Terrace Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Ashfield Terrace Care Community?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 56% of residents surveyed at Ashfield Terrace Care Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 14.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 87% in 2024. Another 28% answered “some of the time” and 16% “never”.
Food spending at Ashfield Terrace Care Community in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.28 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Ashfield Terrace Care Community, 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”.
56% 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 Ashfield Terrace Care Community?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 92% of residents surveyed at Ashfield Terrace Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.8 percentage points above the average of 85.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.9%) and whether they feel safe (100% against 96.4%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 76% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%. 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 40% answered “always”, 36% “most of the time” and 24% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 60% of residents surveyed at Ashfield Terrace Care Community answered “always” and 32% “most of the time”.
How does Ashfield Terrace Care Community spend on resident care?
Total spending at Ashfield Terrace Care Community in the 2024–25 financial year was $451.78 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $283.40 was 7% 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 ($63.79), administration ($27.99), and cleaning and laundry ($27.94) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($161.65) and registered nurses ($63.91).
