Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home is 3.97 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 212 minutes against a 206-minute daily care target; RN time is 72 against 42.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.0% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.88% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.34% | 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 | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home?
When residents surveyed at Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff are kind and caring, 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 21 percentage points below the average of 96.0% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (75% against 95.9%) and whether the home is well run (75% against 89.3%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.6%. In all, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff get to know each resident. Of residents asked whether staff are kind and caring, 50% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time” and 25% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home were asked whether they feel safe, 83% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 58% answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home provide?
Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 6 minutes above its target of 206 minutes. Of those minutes, 72 came from registered nurses, 30 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 208 to 215.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 141 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (72 minutes). Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists and dietitians in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 58% of residents surveyed at Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 12.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 66% in 2024. Another 33% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.90 per resident per day, 221% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home 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”.
58% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Aubrey Downer Aged Care Home spent $468.56 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $276.69 was 4% 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($85.71), administration ($52.77), and cleaning and laundry ($21.18) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($132.84) and registered nurses ($106.48).
